From Erskine to Ellis
by Cash1122
Summary: Kayla Ellis is a powerful young scientist with important connections. When she takes an interest in the Avenger's Captain, trouble ensues. Will she save them from political disaster, or will she destroy them from within? SteveXOC Rated T for language and suggestive themes. I do not own any of the Marvel characters, Only my original characters!
1. Chapter 1

The sound of stilettos on the tile floors should have been alarming to the agents of the covert organization SHIELD, considering none of their operatives wore heels that made such noise. Everyone in the New York base was quiet, calculated, and focused on their current mission. They should have been more aware of the intruder among them, but the building was abuzz with the return of Fury's unlikely heroes: the Avengers.

They had been on a mission in South America taking down an arms dealer who was bent on world domination. Regular Tuesday kind of stuff. However, for those who weren't super soldiers, rage monsters, demi-gods, or encased in metal, the mission had gotten a little dangerous. Clint Barton, in particular, had taken a beating against the thugs. As good as he was at hand to hand combat, even he couldn't fend off twelve mercenaries by himself. Even Captain Rogers had been shot in the mess, the man in charge sending a bullet across his left side, breaking through the tough fabric of his uniform.

Luckily, the man had been distracted enough for Iron Man to easily take him out, knocking the man unconscious while he admired his good work in hurting Captain America. This had brought an abrupt end to world domination and arms dealing, but now the paperwork and medical checkups began.

So this particular day was the perfect day for a thief to break their way into one of the most secure buildings in the world.

"How's the medical situation in Bay 4?" Maria Hill snapped into her earpiece while she stormed down the hall.

"There is no situation, he's Captain America. His injuries are already healing on their own."

"How's Agents Barton and Romanoff?"

"Romanoff is fine, Barton is heading into surgery. He appears to have broken his arm in the scuffle."

Hill looked at her watch, seeing how much time she had before she would report to Fury about the group's return. "Stark? Banner?"

"Both are fine. Stark had some scratched from being rattled around in the suit, but he's taking care of himself. Banner is decompressing in Med Bay 2 as we speak." The agent's voice replied through Hill's earpiece.

"Do a full health evaluation on all of them anyway. X-rays, blood samples, whatever the doctor's need to make sure there isn't any more damage. Fury will have our heads if anything happens to the Avengers."

"Yes, Agent Hill."

Steve sat calmly on the medical bed as a SHIELD agent drew a steady stream of his blood from his arm. The super soldier didn't so much as wince as the vile was filled. Standing across the room from him was Dr. Banner, who had opted to draw his own blood to avoid an appearance by The Other Guy. Natasha had left to go get an X-ray done, her concern for Clint Barton evident on her face as she walked towards the area he was having surgery. Tony, as usual, was being difficult, refusing to have a medical examination done.

"Nope. I'm fine. I'm leaving. I'll send the car for the team once Barton is out of surgery." He waved them off as he packed up his latest Iron Man suit into a briefcase by pressing a button.

Steve sighed wearily as he pulled down his sleeve once the needle had been removed from his arm. He had been shot, but being a super soldier he came out relatively unharmed like most of the team. Only Clint had been really unlucky that day.

He could hear Clint howling in pain from the other room as they gently tried to peel his Hawkeye suit off his bloody arm. Bruce flinched at the sound and scrunched his eyes closed after handing off the vile of blood to the doctor.

"Alright Captain Rogers, you are all set." The doctor told him before turning to her assistant, "Please take these to the lab for testing."

The dark haired agent nodded quickly as she received the vials, turning on her heels to leave. She gripped them cautiously, one in each hand, as she strode down the hall towards the lab. Stiletto heels clicking all the way. She knew how important those vials of blood were, and she knew how dangerous their secrets could be.

Before she reached the lab though, she ducked into the closest bathroom and quietly snuck underneath the door of the large handicap stall. She was very careful in her crawling not to disturb the red liquid she held in each hand. Once safe inside, she pulled out two bags and a pen from the purse stored in the bathroom, hanging above the unconscious SHIELD agent she had tased coming in. The brunette pulled the cap off the pen with her teeth as she gently placed each tube blood into its own bag. One read Banner and the other Rogers. The girl had come prepared for this particular task, and she couldn't leave until the job was done.

Once the samples were safely placed in her clutch, she stripped out of the SHIELD uniform and back into her own black dress she had worn into the building. After re-dressing the tased woman in the bathroom stall she made her escape.

"Help! We have an agent down! Come quick!" She cried out as she burst from the women's restroom. She waved her hands frantically, pointing towards the stall as she backed away from it, trying to clear room for medics to arrive to help the woman.

Agents started running towards the woman in black but quickly turned their attention to their colleague.

"It's Agent Hayes!" One woman cried out, and others came running to get a closer look.

"Excuse me miss-" an agent started to question as he turned to speak with the woman who alerted them.

But she was gone.

Author's Note: Hello everybody! Welcome to my story! I apologize for the slow start, but I promise it gets better! Please feel free to leave reviews! Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

As the mysterious brunette slipped away from the chaos unfolding, SHIELD went on red alert. Moments after the women slipped out the front door they locked, effectively trapping everyone else inside for investigation.

Director Nick Fury turned his attention to the task at hand as soon as the agents realized the woman in the bathroom stall hadn't passed out, she'd been tased and her access card was missing.

"Shut down all computer systems except the security cameras. Nobody accesses any information until we figure out who did this. Nobody leaves or arrives without my permission."

"Yes, sir." Maria Hill answered as she matched his step.

"Leave the computers up for Barton, but tell the medics doing examinations to put them on hold till we figure this out." Hill barked into her earpiece. After a pause, "What do you mean you are still waiting on the samples from Banner and Captain Rogers?"

At her words, the Director stopped in his tracks and turned to face Agent Hill, a mix of terror and rage in his eye. "When were the samples taken?"

Maria repeated Fury's question to the doctor in charge and his answer resonated through their comms.

"Over a half hour ma'am. I was told by the lab tech she was sending them to me right away, but her assistant still hasn't shown up."

Fury took over the call, "Who is the assistant?"

"Agent Hayes Sir."

"That's the women we found tased in the restroom." Maria murmured, meeting Fury's eye.

"She wouldn't have stopped in the restroom, not with the blood samples, she would have gone directly to the lab." The doctor stated simply.

"So somebody broke in, tased Agent Hayes, impersonated her, came back to redress her..." Hill trailed off before Nick finished her thought.

"Then cried out for help, using the chaos to vanish."

"Run a sweep of everyone in the building, figure out who doesn't belong. Do a current sweep, then sweep the past two hours. Everything from when the team arrived until now." Director Fury snapped into his earpiece, but it was Maria Hill who brought up the surveillance in her iPad as they walked.

By this point, Bruce, Natasha, and Steve were already in a debriefing room, looking up at the flashing red lights that were sounding throughout the building.

"What's happening?" Natasha questioned as the Director and Hill entered the room.

Nick Fury gazed at the trio, taking a deep breath before he began. "There's been a break in. We assumed someone planned on searching through our files, however, the computers are untouched. The only things missing are the blood samples from you two." He pointed between Steve and Bruce.

The two men shared a glance. Bruce had a mild panic mixed with complacency in his eyes while Steve just looked weary. After the week-long mission in South America, he was hoping for some rest, but that was unlikely now. Whoever was willing to break into a SHIELD base just to steal two files of blood, his blood needed to be stopped.

"Great, so now somebody clever enough to infiltrate SHIELD has a vile of not just Steve's blood, but mine. Sounds like somebody could be working on the super soldier serum..." Bruce mumbled, forehead resting in the palm of his hand.

"Nobody has been able to replicate it since Erskine, no offense Doctor." Steve quickly added, not wanting to offend Bruce. Bruce gave the soldier a grim smile, understanding his words hadn't meant to be an insult. He knew he hadn't quite gotten it right. Gamma radiation was not, in fact, the key to unlocking the original serum.

"Well in a fight, the Hulk is much more useful than you old man." Tony intruded in on their conversation, flanked on each side by SHIELD agents. "If I remember right when New York was under attack by aliens, we were getting our assess kicked before he got angry." Tony smacked Bruce on the back supportively, but it only made his friend flinch.

"Thanks, Tony, but I'm fully aware that the Other Guy isn't the ideal result of my efforts. What matters now is that we figure out who broke in here."

"Yeah, I don't appreciate getting halfway back to the tower before being ordered back and frisked thoroughly. And not even by a woman I might add." Tony whined, trying to get his team members to understand his struggle.

Nick Fury seemed to almost float back into the room behind Tony, the other three not really noticing he had left. They found themselves deep in thought, ignoring Tony's banter to himself about how inconvenienced he was to be here.

"We had to bring you back Stark, take every precaution. The cameras have found the agent out of place, unfortunately, she's already gone." Fury finished, taking a moment to look at each member of the team. "Luckily, we know how she got in here. The badge she used to enter the building belongs to President Ellis's Aid."


	3. Chapter 3

"The President? Are we being punked?" Tony responded by looking around at the rest of his team, waiting for a response.

"Why would President Ellis send his aid into SHIELD headquarters and not talk to anyone about it. And why does he need our blood? It doesn't make any sense... we are a government organization, why would the government be working against us?" Steve quipped as he rose from his chair, gripping the glass table.

His patience with SHIELD was beginning to run thin. With the Avengers he seemed to have the freedom to be their leader. With SHIELD though, he was stuck somewhere between a soldier and a spy, and they more or less kept him busy because they felt they needed to. Were they hoping to create more super soldiers? To create armies like they planned during World War II? What good was one super soldier when they could have thousands? Perhaps the President knew something SHIELD didn't? What if this was meant to end the Avengers?

"Perhaps the government isn't working against SHIELD. Perhaps it is working against us." Natasha spoke Steve's thoughts, looking up to the Director. "Perhaps they mean to shut down the Avengers."

"We can't let somebody replicate the super soldier serum. Whoever did this has a much better chance of achieving this than I did, and I'm the closest anyone has ever gotten. And look how that turned out..." Bruce stood as well, finally finding his voice in the matter. His calm demeanor melted away as he started to consider the consequences. Not of a working serum, but of a defective one, like his.

"So what's the plan? Because talking in circles is doing nobody any good!" Tony retorted, rolling up his sleeves.

"We are going to infiltrate the President's inner circle. Figure out how much he knows, and find the mole. We need to keep our heads down and not let this out." Fury responded to the billionaire.

"How exactly are we going to do that?" Tony questioned as Fury took hold of Agent Hill's iPad. "I mean, I've met President Ellis before, but... I wouldn't consider us friends."

"I'll pull some strings and get you all invited to the Governor's Ball, it's being held this Friday in Washington. From there you guys will take over. Figure out who has access to that key card. Find out who has the motive and skills to use the samples." Fury began to walk out of the room, signaling the end of this chaotic day. "And I suggest you buy a new suit."

"I'm not sure what's worse, the spandex or this suit," Steve mumbled as Pepper smoothed her hands over his broad shoulders Thursday afternoon. "Thank you, ma'am. And thank you for offering to buy me a new suit."

"No problem Steve, I won't have you looking ridiculous at this ball. If it were up to Tony, that would most likely be the case. If it were up to SHIELD they would most likely have you wear the Captain America suit, which is the same as asking Bruce to bring The Other Guy."

The corner of Steve's mouth twitched up into a small smile as he imagined his teammate hulking out during a Presidential dinner.

"Ma'am, I do believe I prefer this to the uniform, although I can't say it's more comfortable."

"Please call me Pepper Steve. Ma'am is too formal and makes me feel far too old." Pepper moved around to Steve's front, motioning for the saleswoman to bring their selection of ties. "Do you want a little bit of red, white, and blue? Or would you prefer a night off from being The Star Spangled Man?"

Steve gazed at the ties, finally choosing the red one to compliment his black tux. Subtle, but still in theme.

"Pepper, if it comes to pass that the Avengers don't need me anymore, what will happen to me?" Steve asked quietly, unsure if he should cling to the Captain or accept the possibility of a civilian life.

"You could always consider working at SHIELD with Natasha and Clint?" Pepper suggested as she tied the red tie with practiced ease.

"Perhaps I'll join the army." Steve chuckled to himself as the saleswoman rudely gawked as his physique. Pepper shooed her away as Steve smoothed his hair in the mirror.

"Or you could retire. After all, you are over ninety years old." Pepper responded as she handed over Stark's credit card. "You don't owe this country any more than you already have given."

Steve stared at his reflection in the mirror, considering Pepper's words. He'd risked his life, then gave his life for his country, for the world. He thought he had done the honorable thing, then woke up years later to find the world had kept on going without him. Was he destined to remain in his twenties forever while everyone he knew and loved aged without him? He'd lost the one woman he loved. He'd lost his friends, his comrades. He had the Avengers, but they all had their own lives. What was he without Captain America? He was nobody.

Steve shrugged off the suit jacket into the hands of the eager saleswoman, turning back to Pepper in resignation. "Perhaps. But for now, we just need to focus on getting through tomorrow night and figuring out who broke into SHIELD." He nodded curtly to Pepper, "Thank you for your help. I really do appreciate it."

She watched him go sadly, wishing there was something more she could do to help him. She wished there was something in this world that made him happy. He loved drawing but didn't want to be an artist anymore. He'd always wanted to serve his country, but the government would never allow him to enlist without turning it into a media circus.

Steve's real problem was that he didn't know what made him happy outside of being Captain America. Captain America was the only thing that spanned his almost century-long life. Everything after the serum was Captain America. Everything before the serum he didn't want to remember.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hurry up Gramps! We are gonna be late if you don't start moving a little faster!" Tony hollered, glancing at his watch anxiously. He was wearing his signature tuxedo and black tie with gold flecks in it. His hair was slicked back and he wore dark sunglasses, completely unnecessary for a political function beginning at eight o'clock at night.

"Be nice." Pepper scolded as she straightened her boyfriend's tie. Tony placed his hand on her lower back, gently stroking the satin fabric of her new dress. Pepper had spared no expense buying _herself_ a dress for the occasion.

"This is important, and if we are late we may make a bad impression, and if we make a bad impression we'll never figure out who stole their blood." Tony rambled as Pepper rolled her eyes.

"You worry too much, everything is going to be fine." Pepper finished smoothing out Tony's tux, gazing into his eyes. "And when we get back to the hotel tonight..."

Tony smirked wickedly as she whispered into his ear, almost not noticing as Steve left his hotel room to join them in the hallway.

"What took so long to fix your hair? Are you balding old man?" Tony sneered, causing Pepper to smack him playfully.

She smiled grandly at the soldier, taking in the sight of him in the tux she picked out. "You look great Steve."

He blushed, looking down at his dress shoes, "Thank you, ma'am."

"Stop trying to steal my girl Rogers, you aren't her type." Tony joked as he led Pepper to the elevator.

Steve watched them go for a moment, contemplating Stark's words.

 _Not really sure if I'm anyone's type..._

Happy was waiting with the limo outside the group's Washington D.C. hotel. When Tony, Pepper, and Steve arrived they found Bruce standing by the door of the car with Natasha and Clint already inside. Natasha wore a low cut scarlet dress that left little to the imagination. Her fiery red hair was pulled up into an updo revealing teardrop diamond earrings. Beside her sat Clint, his arm in a sling hidden beneath his suit jacket. The look on his face was pained, but he didn't want to be left out of all the fun.

"You ready to go?" Bruce asked. He glanced at his watch, not one for being fashionably late.

"Sorry, the dinosaur was taking his time getting ready." Tony pointed at Steve who simply stared at the man, emotionless.

Once the six were settled into the limo Happy took off towards the Smithsonian museum where the dinner was to take place.

Tony popped a bottle of champagne, bubbles erupting as he smiled grandly. "To the Avengers!" He toasted, as Pepper poured a glass for everyone.

Natasha and Clint nodded, silently joining Tony's toast. Bruce raised his glass, smiling gently as his "Science Bro" before taking a swig. Steve just stared at the beverage, not drinking it, but not rejecting it either.

"To the Avengers." He muttered quietly, the others too engrossed in their pregaming to notice his sulking. Not surprising, sulking seemed to be Steve's natural state and the group was used to just letting him be when he got into this mood.

"So, game plan," Tony started, pouring himself another glass of bubbly, "Barton and Romanoff will woo the attendees, see what gossip they can dig up about the inner circle. Pepper and I will try to get close to the President and First Lady since I 'know him'" Tony used air quotes around the 'know him' part, seeing as he helped stop a plot to murder the President several months ago. "Banner, if there are any scientific minds around, poke their brains. Get a feel for anyone who might want to re-create the super soldier serum. And Steve: try not to mope so much. You are depressing me and we haven't even arrived yet." Tony huffed at the blonde, rolling his eyes.

Steve stared back at him, still emotionless. He wasn't a spy. He didn't enjoy espionage. Wooing people was outside his comfort zone. Coming to this banquet at all seemed pointless for him, as he wasn't much help. But they needed him to complete the set, so here he was.

"We're here!" Happy called from over the half closed divider.

"Alright everyone, game faces. Gramps, I'm talking to you. Barton, stop wincing, man up."

As Happy pulled up to the entrance, cameras began flashing, the paparazzi recognizing Stark Industries D.C. limo. As Happy opened the door, Tony emerged, arms outstretched to his public as they took his photo and yelled questions for the team.

"Mr. Stark! Are you here because you helped save the President?"

"Mr. Stark, should we be worried about another alien invasion?"

"Miss Potts! Miss Potts, what changes have you made to Stark Industries?"

"Are you the real Captain America or are the rumors true?"

Natasha and Clint ignored the cameras, walking up the steps arm in arm, followed by Bruce who stayed close behind. Tony relished in the attention, smiling while holding onto Pepper. Steve somehow found himself out of the car last, and although the others had snuck by, he seemed stuck with the couple.

"What rumors are they talking about?" Steve whispered to Pepper as the two finally made their way towards the large open doors of the museum.

Pepper glanced back towards the soldier, taking a breath before she began. "The new outlets think you are too young, and the idea of you being frozen in ice seems too far-fetched. Even with everything that's happened, there are rumors you are a 'New Captain America' instead of the original. That being said, whoever broke into SHIELD new the truth. Perhaps keeping the truth a secret is a good idea for now."

Steve nodded slightly, taking in the information. "The less attention, the better."

Pepper was finally able to get Tony's attention and they made their way inside the building. Once all together again, they set their sights on their different missions. Natasha and Clint wandered off together to join a group of well-dressed men drinking and laughing near the stage. Tony grabbed Pepper's hand and began dragging her towards a group of politicians, hoping someone would know where President Ellis was.

"I guess it's just you and me now Cap," Bruce stated, looking up at his leader.

"Let's go find out who stole what's ours."


	5. Chapter 5

Natasha and Clint made their way towards the stage, laughing as they entered the circle of men. Once they joined the circle, the politicians stopped talking and stared at Nat. A couple men nudged each other, pulling their jaws off the floor at the beautiful redhead. Clint didn't make any effort to show the two were together, just in case their best option was for Natasha to seduce information out of one of the gawking gentlemen.

"Hello boys," she cooed looking around, "we're a little late. Tell me who we need to know about tonight?" She cut to the chase, throwing a seductive smile around the group as she threw her arm over the nearest man's shoulder.

"Well, apparently Tony Stark just showed up, so that's fun." One man stated, making it clear to Nat that they weren't recognized. "And World Councilman Gideon Malick is here, which is rare, the World Council doesn't show up for much of anything."

"But Matt, you are forgetting the most famous person at this party..." His eyes nodded over to the big side doors of the ballroom. A beautiful blonde woman in a royal blue dress stood laughing with an assistant and several other women. Her long blonde hair fell to her waist in beautiful loose curls, hiding the bare skin revealed from the low backed dress. She turned to look over her shoulder at a passing man, showing off her perfect smile. Her big green eyes sparkled as she turned, sticking out her hip in a way that caused her dress to move to the side, revealing a long slit up to her thigh.

"Apparently she just got back into town from volunteering in Africa. She's working on opening up a school for underprivileged kids. She also runs a charity here in D.C. for homeless veterans. She does a lot of publicity for government functions. I hear she's super smart too."

"But she's so much more than that, she's notorious," Matt piped in, pushing his friend aside. "She never stays with a man more than three months and her conquests become more exciting each year. She's dated athletes, actors, even Johnny Storm-"

"Yeah, before she dumped him to be with that prince from Africa!"

"Sounds like quite a catch." Natasha deadpanned, rolling her eyes. Her gaze strayed to Tony and Pepper, hoping they were having more luck...

"Excuse me! Mr. President!" Tony called, jogging to catch up to the Commander in Chief.

"Stark! How are you?" President Ellis answered, reaching out his hand to shake Tony's, "I haven't seen you since...well... Miss Potts! You look lovely this evening." He changed the subject quickly, not wanting to reminisce about almost dying.

"Thank you, Mr. President. I'm glad to see you under better circumstances this time." Pepper commented, shaking his hand.

"Miss Potts, Stark, this is my wife Sandra."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Ellis." Pepper shook the woman's hand, smiling sweetly.

"The pleasure is all mine! What brings you two to the Governor's Ball?" The First Lady asked.

"Business of course! I was hoping to steal your husband away for a few minutes to talk about something involving my team." Tony turned to face President Ellis. The President cocked his eyebrow at Tony's statement.

"Of course, let's talk now before dinner." He gestured for Tony to follow as they made their way to a quiet corner.

"Your boyfriend is an interesting one, Miss Potts." Sandra sighed, watching the men go.

"You have no idea."

Once Stark and President Ellis were far enough away to speak candidly, Ellis broke the small talk between them. "So what is it, Tony? What is so important you needed to find a way into the Governor's Ball just to speak to me?"

Tony took a deep breath and pulled off his glasses, fiddling them as he spoke. "Sir, there was a break in at a SHIELD base last week. No computers were accessed, no files stolen. The only things taken were two vials of blood. One belonged to Doctor Banner and the other to Captain Rogers."

The President considered the billionaire's words before he replied, "What do you think someone wants with it?" It was a question, but Tony could see something in his eyes that said he already had a good idea of what Stark's answer would be.

"We believe someone is working on the Super Soldier Serum that created Captain America."

The President scoffed, rolling his eyes at the genius. "Nobody has been able to crack that formula in seventy years. Further study on it is futile and dangerous. I'm sure Doctor Banner understands that."

Tony was taken back by the man's change in attitude. Where there had been genuine concern, now there was mockery.

"With all due respect Mr. President, that's exactly why we are trying to track this person down. We don't want that formula to drop into the wrong hands and with a sample from both Banner and Rogers whoever did this could get close."

President Ellis cocked his head, sizing Tony up. "You are the Avengers, why are you asking me about this break in? Can't you figure it out yourself?"

Tony could sense the change in the room, the President was no longer willing to listen, but he had to try. "Because Ellis, it was your aid's badge that was scanned to get into the building. So we are figuring it out, and this mystery led us straight to you."

The President paled at this information, suddenly backtracking his earlier comments. "I'm so sorry Tony, I had no idea. I'll call a meeting with my staff members right away, figure out what happened. But I can vouch for my aid, he's been with me all week planning this event. Several witnesses can confirm."

"He?"

"So what brings you to a ball like this? You don't seem the politician type?" A feminine voice asked from behind Steve.

Bruce and Steve turned to face the women, their reactions different. Bruce recognized the girl immediately and bowed his head politely.

Steve blushed as the beautiful women gazed up into his blue eyes. He didn't know who she was, but clearly Banner did.

"Ummm, we are, uh, here on business!" Bruce stuttered out, but the blonde's green eyes locked onto Steve's face. Bruce took notice of her fascination with him, which was understandable, he _was_ Captain America. What surprised Bruce was how fascinated he seemed with her.

"Business hmmm?" She asked. "What kind of business? I love hearing about the work of the important people."

"Confidential business ma'am. I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say." Steve answered easily, remembering he was Captain America, and he was on a mission that evening. A mission that didn't include beautiful women.

"Uh huh." The women's eye raised in suspicion, "The ma'am is a nice touch. How long did it take you to learn all of Captain Rogers' mannerisms?"

"Excuse me?" Steve responded, quite confused about her question. Then he remembered the political and academic community thought he was a fake. "Well, I, uh..."

"Can either of you speak? What do you do at interviews?" The women huffed, rolling her eyes in annoyance, "Is it just you two? Where is Tony Stark? I want to know what the Avengers are doing here, it must be something good if you are being so secretive... Tiffany!"

A small brunette woman scuttled towards the blonde beauty, an iPad in hand, "Tiffany can you try to find two spots near me for dinner."

"Of course," the women responded with a smile, giving a fist bump to her boss before she walked away.

"I'll see you two at dinner, we'll talk then. I'd love to hear more about your work Doctor Banner, I must say I'm quite a fan." She turned to walk away, but Steve reached out and took hold of her arm gently. She stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the strong hand that held her.

"Excuse me miss, but I don't believe I know your name?" Steve questioned sternly, quickly removing his hand after he noticed her stare.

Her eyes trailed up his strong arm until they met his perfect blues, "Kayla. My name is Kayla."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

Bruce stared between the two, a smile growing by the second. He didn't know if Cap was taking one for the team, or if he was genuinely interested. Either way, Steve talking to a woman who wasn't Nat or Pepper was a huge step in the right direction for helping his social life.

"You said you were a fan? What work are you referring to?" Bruce questioned, finally letting his curiosity get the best of him.

Kayla pulled her eyes away from Steve to smile grandly at Bruce, clearly happy he was willing to talk about his experiments.

"Well, Doctor Banner, it was your work in gamma radiation that piqued my interest. What you created was quite wonderful." Her eyes beamed, but Bruce did not share her expression.

"I wouldn't refer to the Other Guy as wonderful..." He muttered, not wanting to upset her but also not wanting to talk about the side effects of his greatest failure.

"Oh, I would! It's amazing! No one has gotten that close to the Super Soldier Serum in almost seventy years! I wrote my senior thesis on Erskine's work. I'm a scientist myself, Doctor Banner."

The doctor raised an eyebrow, his turn to be surprised, "Really? I'd love to hear more about your work! I'm sure you have better resources than me."

She tilted her head side to side, squishing her nose, "Ehh, not so much. My family doesn't approve of my... work... Politicians. So to keep up appearances I pretend to be someone I'm not. But, it's fine. I get to live the high life. Travel the world. Drink lots of wine. And the sex is great."

At that Steve flushed, not anticipating her work talk to merge so quickly into her personal life. Bruce could feel his teammate stiffen and took it as a sign to leave the conversation.

"Well on that note, I think we better find the others. We'll join you for dinner still?" Bruce prodded, trying to pull her attention away from Steve.

"Of course Doctor Banner. I'd like my parents to meet you. As well as you... Steve?" She questioned, eyes twinkling.

"Yes ma'am, my name is Steve." He answered cautiously, unsure what answer she was searching for.

Her face lit up at his answer, she wanted him to confirm her hopes. She wanted him to be Captain America.

"Well, Captain, I guess I'll see you and Doctor Banner for dinner." The blonde slinked away, grabbing a glass of champagne off of a tray before waltzing over to the group of men Natasha and Clint had given up on.

"Do you really not know who that is?" Bruce asked incredulously as Steve stared after Kayla.

"I do now." He answered, turning to Banner, "She's the one we've been looking for."

Bruce paused and considered the conversation further, then his gaze followed Kayla. "Oh God, she is."

Steve went to move in the direction the women went, ready to confront her about what she stole when Bruce caught his arm.

"It won't be that easy Steve...She's the President's daughter."

Author's Note: I'm sorry the sections are a little hard to read, there are supposed to be dividers, but alas, they keep ending up removed from the story for some reason. I hope everyone is liking this story so far! Each chapter is longer than the next, just getting into the groove of writing this fan fic! Feel free to leave reviews! Thank you to those who already followed and favorited this story in its infancy!


	6. Chapter 6

Steve realized the team's dilemma as soon as Bruce revealed who Kayla really was. It wasn't as easy as confronting the girl and asking her why she broke into SHIELD. They couldn't just accuse the First Daughter of being a thief and get away with it.

"Any luck Barton?" Tony asked as the Avengers convened near the beverage table.

"Nothing too helpful. These bastards are only looking for someone to take home tonight. We heard all about the President's daughter, and Africa, and supermodels. We are no closer to finding who broke into SHIELD than we were the day it happened." Natasha cut in, crossing her arms in a huff.

"Well, _I_ learned some interesting news, the President's aid is a man, and he knows nothing about the break-in. Which means someone stole the badge to get into SHIELD. So we know Ellis is clean." Tony answered back, proud that he was more successful than the spies.

"Congratulations Tony, so we know one aid didn't break in. That leaves everyone in the whole world." Natasha snapped back, growing weary of the evening.

"Umm, Tony..." Bruce mumbled, causing everyone to turn to him. "We figured out who did it."

"Great! That was easy, so where are they now?" Tony clapped his hands, ready to fix this problem and enjoy the party.

"It's Kayla Ellis." Tony's face dropped at Banner's words, "She's the one who broke in. She's been working on the super soldier serum since college. She's a scientist, one who has access to her father's aid..."

"Son of a bitch," Tony growled, eyes narrowing towards the blonde in the blue dress across the room. "What do we do now?"

"Well, she's invited Steve and me to sit with her for dinner to talk more about my work with the serum..." Banner trailed off, waiting for someone to stop him.

"May I have everyone's attention please." The President's aid took to the mic on the stage, "Please find your seats, we shall be serving dinner shortly."

"Go! Go see what she knows, we need to be sure she's the one who broke in before we accuse her. Get close to her. Do what you have to." Natasha hissed, shooing the scientist and the soldier towards the head of the room.

"Good luck! Don't make an ass of yourself!" Barton called after them.

Tony wrapped his arm around Pepper's waist, pulling her gently towards an open table nearby. The four took a seat and prayed that Bruce and Steve could somehow connect with the girl enough to get her on their side.

Steve and Bruce made their way over to the President's table, and Kayla's eyes lit up when she saw them. "Oh, I'm so glad you both decided to join us! I was worried you'd get cold feet!" The remark was said to both of them, but Steve couldn't help but think it was directed solely at him.

"Of course! We had more to discuss." Bruce hummed, deciding it would be up to him to save this situation, as Cap was completely incompetent talking to women.

"Daddy, this is Doctor Bruce Banner. I'm sure you remember him from my studies in college." Kayla pulled Bruce by the arm to face the President.

"It's really an honor to meet you, sir. Thank you so much for allowing us to join this evening." Bruce stuttered.

Mathew Ellis smiled at the doctor. He had to hide his resentment because Dr. Banner wasn't the one to put the interest of the serum in his daughter's head. "I'm glad you could join us, Doctor. Captain Rogers, welcome."

"Thank you, Sir." Steve shook the President's hand strongly, giving him a firm nod. This was something he was used to. He'd met a lot of important men during World War II, and he knew how to carry himself in the presence of his superiors.

"Doctor Banner, Captain Rogers, this is my wife Sandra. And of course, you seem to know our daughter Kayla." Mr. Ellis turned to face his daughter, judgment in his eyes. He could see this whole situation was her doing. He just hoped she had nothing to do with that break-in at SHIELD...

"Let's sit everyone! I'm starving!" Kayla yelped, suddenly more giddy than seductive.

This change of personality caught Steve off guard. He couldn't figure out this woman. He couldn't figure out who she was trying to be, who she was expected to be, and who she really was. When talking with Bruce about his research she seemed so genuine and interested. Suddenly though, depending on her audience, she seemed incredibly fake. Plastic almost, like a doll trying not to break.

While the President and First Lady spoke with the dignitaries seated on their side of the table, Kayla busied herself questioning Bruce about his work. Steve watched quietly, taking in her questions and Banner's answers. He was cautious not to give too much away, making sure he didn't give her anything useful information about the serum in case she really was trying to replicate it. All through the main course they talked about his work, and hers. She was quite accomplished, Steve thought. Helping build schools in Africa. Running a charity to help veterans, although it bothered him to learn some veterans were homeless.

Finally, as dessert arrived, the blonde beauty turned her attention to Steve. His eyes widened when he realized what was coming next, he couldn't use Bruce as a shield against her questions any longer. Her eyes narrowed and she smiled seductively at the soldier, ready to prod him for answers.

"Captain Rogers, I'm sure you are aware of the rumors going around about you. People say you aren't the real deal. Scientists say its impossible that you were born in 1918 and still exist as if you are only twenty-six years old. So tell me, Captain America, who are you? Who should I believe?"

Steve stumbled over his thoughts as they raced through his mind. If he lied and pretended to be someone else, perhaps she wouldn't use his blood to work on the serum. If she thought he was a fake, she wouldn't waste her time. However, Steve was never one for lying. His guilt would get the best of him, and his mother's voice rang in his head, telling him to be honest.

"Ma'am, I can't explain what happened to me. A man named Abraham Erskine gave me a chance, let me join the army, and eventually chose me to be the test subject for his super soldier serum. He was murdered in front of me, so I don't know the details of what his plans for me and my future were. I fought Hydra, saved hundreds of lives. Lost a few along the way. In 1945 I flew a plane into the frozen tundra and woke up in 2012. I was frozen in ice for sixty-seven years, and it has been a hell of a year since they found me. I thought I had died for my country, but instead of death, I woke up in a world where everyone I knew had aged without me. So Miss Ellis, if you don't believe I'm the real deal, there's no way I can prove it to you. You can believe me, or believe the reporters who make up stories for their own benefit. The choice is yours." He retorted coolly. He hadn't meant to be cruel to the girl, but she wasn't exactly kind to him in her questioning.

Kayla Ellis sat there, staring at Steve Rogers for what felt like forever. Her breath caught in her throat.

 _It is him._

She had denied herself a good look at him, trying to be polite, but she couldn't help herself now. He admitted who he was, he told her truths that only he could truly know. He was even more perfect than the history books. She so desperately wanted to get her hands on him...

"I-I'm sorry for being so rude." She stated simply, leaning back in her chair. After taking a bit of her chocolate cake she continued, "I wanted to believe you were real... I just, I didn't want to get my hopes up. I've studied you for years. I poured over books about you, letters written of your feats. I studied the footage from the Battle of New York, but I just couldn't bring myself to really believe it. You were... I-I would give anything to study you-"

"I apologize Miss Ellis, but we are very busy." Bruce interrupted, seeing the conversation barreling in dangerous territory. He'd made a decision to bait the girl and see how she responded. "One of our SHIELD bases was broken into last week, and we need to figure out who did it."

Bruce could have sworn he saw the color drain from her face before she spoke again, "Really? What was taken?"

"Two vials of blood. One belonging to Steve, one belonging to me."

At that moment, Kayla's assistant scurried over to her boss. "Excuse me, Kayla, you have a phone call. They say its urgent."

"Thank you, Tiffany, I'll be there in a moment." Kayla retorted, quickly rising from her seat.

"Where are you going? What could be so important it can't wait?" Sandra asked her daughter.

"Kayla..." her father started, "Please tell me you haven't done something stupid."

Kayla looked over her shoulder, tossing her hair to the side, "Why Daddy, I'm only doing as I'm told."

She appeared to glide away, stilettos clicking against the museum floor.

President Ellis shared a look with Steve and Bruce, then went back to his wife's conversation. Dinner was over, and the two Avengers were finally allowed to return to the others.

"That...was a trainwreck." Bruce moaned as Tony motioned for him to give them the details.

"What happened?" Pepper prodded gently, watching Bruce rub the bridge of his nose.

"I feel pretty confident that she stole the blood. She asked Steve if she could study him once she believed he was the original Captain America. Steve told her off though, which was awkward."

Steve flushed, jaw opening to defend himself, but he had no excuse. He just didn't understand women.

"Then she got an urgent phone call and left, and that's the last we saw of her." Bruce finished weakly.

"So that's it? We just give up? We let her do God knows what with the samples until she creates a new super soldier serum?" Tony rambled, fidgeting his hands while he tried to think of a solution.

The wait staff had cleared the museum floor of most of the tables, leaving only a few near the stage. A string quartet started playing a slow waltz and couples began to take to the floor. Suddenly, royal blue snuck up behind the Earth's Mightiest Heros, catching them off-guard yet again.

"Mr. Stark! How are you? Miss Potts what a pleasure to meet you!" Kayla cooed as she hugged Pepper. She then turned her attention to Natasha and Clint. "I don't believe we've met, I'm Kayla Ellis." She extended her hand to shake Natasha's. The spy shook the girl's hand gingerly, almost as if it would bite.

"Natasha. This is Clint."

"Nice to meet you," Clint added, nodding his head.

"Great! Now that we all know each other, which one of you strapping men is going to dance with me?" Kayla prodded, smiling around the circle. Her eye's landed on Clint, "What about you? You look like you can dance."

"I wish I could Miss Ellis, unfortunately, I'm not in dancing shape at the moment." Clint showed her his sling underneath his jacket.

Kayla stuck out her lower lip and pouted. Then she turned her attention to Steve. "What about you soldier? Fancy a dance?"

"I don't know how to dance."

"I'll teach you how."

Steve stiffened at her words, mind flashing back to Peggy and his last moments with her before he crashed into the ice.

"I actually love to dance." Tony interrupted.

Kayla turned her attention to Stark, "Really? I didn't take you as the ballroom type?"

"Well, there's a lot you don't know about me. May I have this dance?"

She smirked, placing her dainty hand in his. "Of course Mr. Stark."

Pepper smiled as Tony and Kayla danced, the blonde girl laughing. True laughter, not the flirty kind Pepper often saw in interviews. She trusted Tony, and she could see he was only making the girl laugh to make her more comfortable.

Steve, however, started to wander off.

"Where you headed Cap?" Clint called after him, causing Natasha, Bruce, and Pepper to all face the soldier.

"I'm getting a drink."

"But Cap, you can't get drunk," Clint stated simply.

"Doesn't mean I can't have a drink when I'm feeling alone," Steve muttered quietly, not wanting the others to hear. He would never admit it, but he had actually wanted to dance with the girl.

Tony twirled Kayla and once the song ended they bowed jokingly to the applause of the team and some bystanders. Tony kissed her hand, then held his out to Pepper to dance with her. The blonde exchanged a smile with the older women as the couple took to the floor. Kayla then turned her attention to Bruce, who was the only one left since Nat and Clint were slowly dancing nearby.

"I don't suppose you like dancing Doctor Banner?" Kayla murmured shyly, feeling awkward asking her idol to dance.

He simply shook his head, "Dancing raises my blood pressure. I'd rather not hulk out tonight."

Kayla shrugged, a short laugh escaping her red lips, "It might make the night more interesting?"

He shook his head again, a smile forming, "No, I don't think so. I'm sure you can find somebody to dance with you. You are quite popular tonight." He gestured towards a group of guys who were waving her over. She blew them a kiss, then turned to Bruce, rolling her eyes.

"I don't trust them as far as I can throw them, and I don't consider myself very strong." She muttered, ignoring their catcalls. She gave Bruce a week smile, "To be honest, I-I feel safer around you guys than any of them."

"Well, we are the Avengers. Although I wouldn't feel safe around me if I were you."

"Oh shush, you are brilliant. And you are important. I heard that they were getting their assess kicked before you showed up to the Battle of New York." Kayla laughed, bumping her shoulder against his. She looked around at the two couples, then turned back to Bruce, "Where is Steve?"

"Oh, you are on a first name basis now?" He joked, causing her to blush.

"I-uh- just wanted to thank him for joining us at dinner. I'll be leaving soon, and I didn't want to leave things awkward."

"He's getting a drink." Bruce nodded towards the bar. Kayla leaned away from Banner, trying to get a better look where he was pointing.

Sure enough, standing alone against the bar top was Captain Steven Grant Rogers. He was nursing a beer that had no effect on him.

After he woke up from the ice, he had turned to alcohol, trying to chase away the sorrows of his situation. He'd never even had a drink before he became Captain America. But from what he could tell, getting drunk eased pain. If it didn't, why did so many people try to do it? After realizing alcohol did as much as orange juice, Steve turned to the gym. At least he could punch out his woes there.

"Hi Steve."

He turned around to see Kayla standing there. She looked almost worried, but with a hopeful twinkle in her eye.

"Hi. I'm sorry, I'm just not one for dancing..."

"Don't worry about it." She answered before ordering a martini. "Have you enjoyed yourself this evening?"

He shrugged, "It's been fine. Not really my thing."

"I hope I didn't make it any worse."

"No. No, you were the most interesting part of the evening." He smiled at her, a real smile. She hadn't seen one from him before. It made the butterflies in her stomach do cartwheels.

"Interesting hmm? I mean, the evening is just getting started..." She winked at him, and he shook his head with a grin.

"No ma'am, I'm afraid my night is almost over."

"Hmph." She huffed, crossing her arms. The girl was not used to not getting her way. And she was most definitely not used to being turned down.

"It's not you-" Steve started, realizing he'd offended her, "It's just not who I am. I'm not the type of guy you want to spend time with. I haven't even kissed a girl since 1945." He laughed, and she realized she'd never heard him laugh either. Never in an interview and most definitely never this evening.

"Well, Captain, I would very much like to kiss you now-"

"Miss Ellis! It's time to go, the limo is here!" Tiffany distracted her boss, who was leaning closer and closer to Steve. She stopped where she was and sighed. It had taken all her courage to make a move on the soldier, and now she was being pulled away. He more than likely felt relieved.

"I'm sorry Captain Rogers, but duty calls. Thank you, for being a gentleman." Kayla nodded, lips twisted into a bittersweet smile. She followed her assistant to the doors, then took a deep breath before stepping out into the flashing cameras.


	7. Chapter 7

With Kayla gone, the team knew their night was also coming to an end. They wearily filed out the doors, feigning smiles as they walked down the steps. This time none of them could ignore the flash of the reporters, as they had seen the President's daughter take an interest in them that evening.

"No questions at this time, thank you." Pepper stated, falling into her former role as Tony's assistant, even though she ran Stark Industries now. She was just better at the press than the rest of them.

Happy opened the door to the limo, Nat and Clint slid in first, followed by Bruce, Tony, then Pepper. Only Steve stood outside the door, glancing back up the stairs to the doors. He noticed World Councilman Malick glaring down at them. He gave the man a short nod, then slid into the car.

"I see the World Council still isn't a fan of ours," Steve muttered once he was seated next to Natasha.

"I mean, Fury disobeyed a direct order, then blamed them for the decision. They've had to do a lot of backtracking." Tony grumbled, pouring himself another glass of champagne. He'd had more than enough, but since they'd already left he didn't see the harm in getting sloppy.

"Well, the night is done. We've found our thief. We'll contact Fury in the morning with our findings. Then we'll go from there." Natasha murmured, looking around at the tired team. There was nothing else they could do now.

Happy dropped them off at the front door of their hotel and they were once again met by cameras. Whether it was good publicity or bad, where the Avengers went, a story always followed. They ignored the questions and smiled weakly at the cameras. It was 1:30 in the morning, and even superheroes needed rest.

Clint and Natasha had offered to share a room with two beds, which Tony agreed to. However, when Bruce and Steve offered to share a room, Pepper wouldn't allow it, insisting the gentlemen have their own space.

"It's on Stark Industries." She had said, giving them each a room key to their own room before she and Tony made their way to their shared suite.

Hours earlier Steve had felt guilty about having his own room at this fancy hotel, but after the long night, he was thankful to be alone.

He stripped out of his suit before retreating to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, smoothing back his long blonde hair. His mind was replaying the evening. He was replaying his memories of her.

 _Scientists say its impossible for you to be born in 1918 and still exist as if you were only twenty-six years old..._

 _I wanted to believe you were real..._

 _Well, Captain, I would very much like to kiss you now..._

Steve splashed cold water onto his face, trying to snap out of his daze. The cold did the trick, as it often did. He hated the cold. It reminded him of being frozen in ice. But sometimes it took that shock to remind him he was warm. He was alive.

Sleep evaded Steve every night, and as tired as he was, this night was no different. He looked at the clock, the red letters glowing 2:16. He turned on the lamp at the desk by his window and began to sketch, letting his fingers work to release some of his pent-up energy.

Tiffany pulled the heavy shades open to Kayla Ellis's bedroom, letting the sun pour in onto her boss.

"Rise and shine Sleeping Beauty! Time to get up or else you'll be late."

"Noooo." Kayla moaned, throwing a goose down pillow over her face. Her blonde curls splayed out across the bed, messy and tangled. Despite refusing to get up, she stretched her legs under the covers.

"You have to be with your parents for the press conference at two Kayla. And umm, you have that other meeting at eleven..." Tiffany trailed off, voice lowering as she finished her sentence.

"What time is it now?" A muffled voice came from under the pillow.

"It's eight o'clock."

"I have three more hours." Kayla rolled over so her face was in the bed, but she did not remove the pillow from her head.

"Girl, you look terrible, it may take three hours to get ready." Tiffany sneered playfully, depositing a small Maltese puppy onto the bed.

"Ah! Maddy! Stooop!" Kayla shrieked as the tiny dog began to lick her face, imploring her owner to wake up. The blonde finally rolled over and threw the pillow to the side, scooping the white fluff into her arms. "How's my baby this morning? How's my little angel?" She cooed to Maddy, letting the dog lick her nose happily.

Tiffany took the dog from Kayla, allowing her friend to get out of bed. Kayla stretched her arms above her head, catching a fuzzy glimpse in the mirror as she did so. "Uhhh, I look awful." She moaned, squishing her frizzy hair against the side of her face. She grabbed her glasses to get a better look. "Did I even take off my makeup last night?"

"Nope. You came home and crashed into that bed. I practically had to drag you out of your ballgown. And you were sober as I've ever seen you." Tiffany raised an eyebrow curiously, "You barely had anything to drink last night. And I saw you spent most of your evening with the Avengers. Not really your type of company. They seem a bit old for you."

Kayla glared at her best friend, who matched her stare with an impish grin. "I wasn't trying to sleep with them Tiff. I've been waiting my whole life to meet Doctor Banner and there he was! I couldn't let the opportunity go to waste."

Tiffany's smile only grew as she folded up the discarded ballgown, beginning to walk to the door. "Uh huh, I'm sure that's why I found you inches from Captain America before we had to leave." Kayla threw a pillow at the small brunette, hitting her side as she slipped out the door.

Once alone, the blonde crawled out of bed to get a closer look at her reflection. Her hair was a mess and last nights makeup was smeared across her face. She moved to the bathroom to wash up, splashing cold water onto her face and rubbing last night away. She stared into the mirror at her own face, red from scrubbing, imperfect. Her thick-framed glasses hid her emerald green eyes. How desperately she wanted to go into the world as she was now. To not play dress up and pretend to be someone else.

With a frown she removed her glasses and made her way to the shower, ready to begin transforming for a new day.

It was eleven-fifteen when Steve knocked on Tony's hotel room door. More like pounded on the door, almost knocking it down.

"Stark, wake up!" Steve yelped, banging again, Natasha and Clint by his side.

"Go away!" Tony hollered back, pulling Pepper into another passionate kiss as she giggled.

"Stark this is an emergency, open up!" Nat chimed in, putting a hand on Steve's arm to stop him from breaking the hotel door.

He was about to just break in when the door swung open to reveal Pepper in her bra and underwear. Steve turned crimson as he stared into her eyes, too polite to avoid eye contact but too old-fashioned to accidentally steal a glance.

Pepper's eyes grew dark as she realized the trio were suited up, clearly something was wrong. "Tony..."

"What the hell do you clowns want?" he snarled as he pulled his robe closed, realizing his team was ready to go.

"Stark, the President's daughter has been taken hostage. And they want us to come to save her."

After calmly rustling Banner from his bed, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain America, and the Hulk made their way to the warehouse where the ransom note directed they come.

"This is highly suspicious," Natasha said, looking around at all the cop cars and secret service agents surrounding the building.

"They shouldn't need us, they have plenty of firepower here." Banner agreed, sharing a glance with Nat.

"Excuse me, officer," Steve made his way to the chief of police, "We were told to be here, but you all seem to have it under control..."Steve wasn't annoyed the Avengers had been called in to help, he just knew there was something else at work here.

"We thought we had it under control, but they sent this out through the door." The officer handed Steve a tablet.

On the screen were two men on either side of a brunette women with a gag over her mouth. Tears streamed down her face as one man pressed his gun against her head.

"We will not negotiate with anyone except the Avengers." A third man sneered into the cameras, but a mask covered his face, hiding his identity. "They have until noon to arrive, or else she dies." With that he grabbed the hair of the brunette and ripped it off, letting Kayla's long blonde hair fall down the back of the chair she was tied to.

"Steve." The metallic voice of the Iron Man suit started beside him, "It's her."

Steve nodded at Tony. With the brown wig, Kayla looked exactly like the girl in the surveillance from the SHIELD break-in. They had her. But first, they had to rescue her.

"What time is it now?" Steve demanded, grabbing his shield from his back.

"It's 11:45 sir." A female officer answered.

"Alright, Tony, you come with me in the front. Barton, Romanoff, sneak around the back, try to find another way out. Maybe we can distract and sneak her out, avoid a gunfight. Banner, you stay here, try to stay calm. We'll signal you if we need the Other Guy." He turned to the officer next to him, "Have her parents been informed?"

"Yes sir, they are the ones who requested the news story be played to get your attention." The women answered stoically.

"Well, that was a mistake because now the media will be all over this rescue. Keep them back, don't let anyone interfere." Steve barked back, adjusting his cowl over his face. "Alright team, let's move out."

Steve pulled the door to the warehouse. It creaked as it moved, eliminating any chance of the element of surprise. Tony's clunky suit didn't help either, the sound of metal on metal was a gleaming reminder that Iron Man was meant to fly.

"Glad you decided to join us Captain. Stark." A man in a black mask rounded a corner, coming face to face with the pair. "Where's the rest of the team? Is the First Daughter less important than a gala?"

"You said you would only negotiate with the Avengers. We are here to negotiate. Show us the hostage." Cap said easily, in his element.

"Alright, here are my terms: one of you for a glimpse at her. Then ten million dollars from Stark Industries and we'll think about letting her go."

"Excuse me? I'm not responsible for this woman! Why do I have to pay her ransom?" Tony snapped at the man.

"Stark..." Steve growled quietly.

"No, it's a legitimate question. If I walk out that door and she dies, I lose nothing. So why should I hand over ten million?"

"Because she's figured out the antidote for the super soldier serum. And I imagine that affects the Avengers more than the President." The man in black snapped. "So what's it gonna be? One of you two or one of the others you have hiding comes with me and gets to see the girl. The others stay to negotiate. Sounds fair? Or you can walk out as you said, and we'll kill her and end all your problems. But then her death is on your hands."

"You guys copy that?" Stark asked in his helmet, making sure the kidnappers didn't hear.

"Stark... we can't just leave her to die," Nat responded, calculating the variables as she spoke. "Clint is in the rafters, ready to shoot. But, there are two men with guns to her head. We can't attack without losing her."

"Take me. Negotiate with Stark." Steve finally spoke, realizing the only way to save the girl was to play along. But he had an idea.

"Follow me, and don't try any funny business or you'll find nothing but a corpse.

Steve nodded to Tony, assuring him he had it under control. Tony had no intention of taking the suit off, even for negotiations...

"Steve!" Kayla sobbed through the gag when he was brought into the room. He was roughly thrown at her feet but he didn't fight it.

"I'm fine Miss Ellis, are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

She turned her head to the side, revealing a fresh bruise in the shape of a hand. Tears soaked her blouse and mascara dyed her face black. Steve could tell she was shaking. He leaned closer to her, pressing his forehead to hers.

Her eyes widened, both from confusion and excitement at the unexpected action. He closed his eyes for a moment before whispering, "Do you trust me?"

She looked into his eyes as he opened them, nodding slowly.

"Clint now!" He yelled into the comm. With one fluid motion, he grabbed his shield and held it in front of him and the girl. Bullets bounced off the vibranium from feet away, but the men shooting didn't have a shield.

Hawkeye sent two arrows quickly into the chests of the men guarding Steve while Black Widow rapid fired on the two men holding guns to Kayla's head. Distracted. They never stood a chance.

Hawkeye repelled from the ceiling and Widow waltzed her way to the center of the room. The two agents stood guard while Steve untied the girl's hands, thighs, then finally pulled the gag from her mouth.

"Thank you. Thank you I'm so sorry!" She sobbed into Cap's uniform, grasping as the blue fabric like it gave her life.

"Incoming!" Tony alerted over the comms as several men with machine guns burst through the door, firing at the team. Natasha and Clint dove to safety, but Steve simply held up his shield, protecting Kayla as he backed the two of them away.

"Put your legs around my waist, it'll be faster if I carry you." He told her, motioning to her high heels with his head.

"Well if you insist." She crooned as she hopped into his open arm, grasping around his neck with her arms. She couldn't help but feel his strong abs as she wrapped her legs around his torso. She prayed he couldn't feel how her blood seemed to heat up in such a position with him.

"Nat, Clint, get out of here! Stark, on my signal I want you to shoot the beams. Bring down the building!"

"On it," Stark answered, flying into the room with the rest of the team.

Natasha and Clint make a break for the back door they had come in through. Steve was trying to back up as quickly as possible, but it was harder to get out carrying another person.

"We are clear of the building. Cap, what's your status?"

Steve looked at Kayla, and she nodded, trusting him fully. It was raining death, but in his face, she only saw life. She hadn't felt this alive since her father became President.

"Stark, bring it down now!" Cap called it, tightening his grip on Kayla as Tony blasted the beams and the roof began to collapse.


	8. Chapter 8

"Live from Washington D.C., the Avengers were called in to save the President's daughter but were unable to do so. The building where the First Daughter was being held hostage has fallen, and there is no sign of her or the Avengers' Captain America. At this point, we have not heard a statement from the White House but I'm sure one will be issued soon."

The reporters were somber as they reported the news of the hostage situation. The mood changing from daring rescue to disbelief at the Avengers' failure. Nat and Clint went to join Bruce, patting dust off of their uniforms. Tony landed in the middle of the rubble, starting to pull debris from the area Cap had made it to with Kayla.

Clint went to help Tony, but Natasha and Bruce stood in disbelief, unable to comprehend what had happened. It was too easy. But they had lost?

"Cap!" Clint yelped into his earpiece, hoping the Captain would respond.

Suddenly, the ground began to shift, and from the rubble a red, white, and blue shield pushed aside the rocks. Tony flew to help along with Clint. Once he was free of the debris, Steve strapped his shield onto his back and pulled an unconscious Kayla back into the land of the living.

"Miss Ellis," Steve whispered as he stroked her hair away from her forehead, "Miss Ellis wake up."

Tong and Clint acted as a barrier from the cameras that began flashing wildly and the reporters screaming questions about the woman. Helicopters flew overhead trying to get a better view.

Steve shook the blonde gently, then pulled off his mask and put his face to her chest. "She's breathing." He stated simply, then continued to stroke her hair with his gloved hand, praying to God she'd be okay.

"Let's try to get her to Bruce. Nat, Nat do you copy? We are headed your way. Call an ambulance just in case." Tony barked worriedly into his earpiece. His helmet was off now and he looked around, panicking at what the future would bring for the team.

"They are already here. Paramedics are coming to you." Natasha replied.

As the paramedics ran through the rubble, a cough erupted from Kayla's throat and she opened her eyes, squinting at the sun. "Steve." She gasped breathlessly. He could not help the smile that formed as she beamed at him, eyes sparkling in an adoration he hadn't seen in years. Not since Peggy.

"Miss Ellis..." He started quietly, struggling to find the words he wanted to say.

"I knew you'd save me." She answered weakly, allowing herself to sit limply in his arms. "I knew you'd protect me when it fell."

"How?"

"Because you're Captain America. It's what you do."

"Get out of the way!" The paramedics yelled at Tony and Clint as the men parted, giving them a clear path to Steve and the girl. "Miss Ellis, are you hurt? We are taking you to the hospital, your parents are waiting at the perimeter to come with you-" They began to pull Kayla away from Steve but the women wouldn't release her death grip on the back of his neck. The medic sighed, clearly not surprised by this, "Miss Ellis, please. Your father insists."

Kayla simply shook her head, then looked back to Steve who sat quietly, not keeping a tight hold on her but also not handing her over either. "No. He's going to take me. I won't go anywhere without Captain Rogers."

By this point, her father's aid had made his way through the rubble with several secret servicemen. "Kayla, don't do this. We need to take you to the hospital. Captain Rogers needs to be debriefed with our media team and theirs.

"The rest can go, he comes with me." She stated again, leaning closer to Steve's chest. She side eyed the aid, daring him to separate them.

"Miss Ellis, I think you should go..." Steve started, not wanting to make a bigger mess than they already had.

"No, please take me," She hardened as she returned her gaze to her father's aid. "Where he goes I go."

"Fine, we'll do it your way Miss Ellis." The man obliged with a shrug, "But you will have to deal with your father and mother. They are not happy with your extracurricular activities."

"I can explain..."

"We look forward to hearing it. Let's go. Captain?"

Steve's gaze was stone cold as he lifted up the blonde, still cradled in his strong arms. He was prepared for the media circus that was about to ensue. Normally he'd insist on going with his team, but today he was silent. The soldier in him told him to follow orders, as he always did. His orders were to let the girl go so he could be held responsible for his actions. But as strong as those instincts were, curiosity got the better of him, and he needed to know Kayla's explanation just as much as her family did.

"Kayla!" The First Lady screeched as they got closer to the perimeter of the scene. "Kayla, Honey!" With a lunge the mother filled in the gap between them and Kayla finally allowed Steve to put her down. Her legs were shaky as she threw her arms around her mother, silently sobbing.

"I'm so sorry Mom." She cried quietly, burying her face in the older woman's neck. "Dad!"

The President wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter while secret servicemen kept the news crews at a good distance.

Steve began to back up, giving the family space. It wasn't his place to invade on their moment. But the farther he got from the First Family, closer he got to reporters who photographed his dirty, maskless form, screaming questions at him.

"Captain America! How does it feel to have saved the President's Daughter?"

"Captain Rogers! Captain, do you believe the Avengers were somehow the cause of this hostage situation?"

Tony flew over and landed between Steve and the reporters, causing even more cameras to flash. "Captain Rogers will not be making any statements at this time. We wish to investigate the situation further."

Steve gave Tony a grateful nod, but before he could leave to follow, he felt a gentle hand on his arm.

He turned to face Sandra Ellis, her eyes filled with tears. "Captain Rogers, thank you."

Steve bowed his head to meet her eyes, "You're welcome ma'am."

"She wants you to come with us Captain. I know your responsibilities lie with your team, and if you go with them I respect that. But she's scared, and she's gotten into a mess. A mess that involves you. I think you should join us if you can." Mrs. Ellis cautioned. Once again this caught Steve's interest, and he knew it was in the Avengers' best interest to find out what the girl knows.

"I'm going to join them Tony. I think I need to find out first hand what's happening, or else it'll just be more whispers in the shadows."

"It's your call Cap. We'll see you later at the hotel then." Tony's eyes shifted between Steve and Sandra, unsure of her motives. This whole situation had seemed strange, Steve was right about one thing: they needed to find out now.

Kayla felt fine enough to ride in the Presidential car to the hospital, so Steve and the First Family piled in. Once seated Mathew put the soundproof divider up and turned to his daughter.

"Alright peanut, it's just us and you. I'm not mad, I just need an explanation. Tell us now in private before we get the press involved. I won't even let the aids know until we decide how to move forward as a family." Mathew Ellis was the President of the United States, but he was also the father of a twenty-four year old girl.

"Daddy I was scared. Grand Councilman Malick approached me several weeks ago. The Council had gotten reports of a soldier who was being experimented in Russia during the Cold War. They were worried they'd unlocked a type of super soldier system similar to Erskine's because of his abilities. They reached out to me while I was in Africa because of my studies. I-" she turned to Steve who sat across from her, "I began working on an antidote to a serum like Erskine's. It was meant to enhance not only your muscle mass but your cells. It didn't have to be perfect it just had to be degenerative."

"Were you successful honey?" Sandra prodded from beside her daughter, watching Steve's reaction wearily.

"Sort of. I couldn't test it on anyone... what if it killed them. I was using strong chemicals in my antidote. I needed to test it out without consequences. But Malick was getting... impatient. He needed me to hurry up."

"Why is the World Council in such a hurry to make an antidote to the super soldier serum? I haven't heard any reports about this man they plan to use it on." Steve stated, back straight against the wall.

"See, I thought that was weird as well. But... he said the soldier was targeting you Dad." She answered softly, looking at her father. "When he told me that I knew I had to succeed. So I flew in early from Africa, and I _was_ the one who broke into SHIELD to steal your blood. I didn't do it to recreate the serum, I stole your blood to test the antidote."

Steve considered this, blue eyes staring into her green ones. It made sense. She was more or less blackmailed into creating the weapon for the World Council, fearing for her father's life and the future of her country.

"Why didn't the Council request a sample of Captain Rogers' blood from SHIELD instead of making you steal it?" Her father asked, face twisting into a scowl.

Kayla's eyes never broke from Steve's as she answered his question, "They told me the Council wasn't on good terms with SHIELD after the Battle of New York. They said they would give me all the resources I needed if I could get it myself. They knew I was very resourceful."

"How did this create the hostage situation? They kidnappers knew what you had created. How did this get out?" Steve barked. Whether or not Kayla had a choice was a gray area. But doing bad things for a good reason is still bad. Steve's mind was too black and white to take pity on her for the scheme.

"I really don't know... I've been so careful, I had a meeting at the World Council lab, I had my driver drop me off around the corner. They were waiting for me just out of sight of the car..." Kayla whimpered, no longer able to look Steve in the eyes.

"We can't let this get out. Who else knows that they knew?" The President prodded urgently, they were nearing their destination.

"Only the police saw the video they sent for us Avengers. That wasn't released on the news as far as we know." Cap aided.

"We'll call a conference with the police department, the White House staff, the Avengers and SHIELD. We lock this down and throw away the key. Today never happened." The President demanded, throwing a protective arm around his daughter.

The car parked outside of the hospital and secret servicemen swarmed the area, creating a wall between the First Family and the rest of the world. Sandra ushered Kayla inside, but Mathew waited just outside the hospital doors with Steve.

"Captain Rogers, I don't know what to say. I have no excuse for my daughter's behavior, but I have to admit part of the blame is mine. Perhaps if I had allowed her to study, if I had given her the resources she needed, perhaps she would have been more open about this. I'm so sorry that you and your team were brought into this. But Captain, I implore you, stay away from her. There's a reason I didn't want her to be a part of this life. There's a reason we try to keep her in the light..." The President looked up at the taller soldier, trying to find the words to say, "She needs to be the First Daughter. And I'd rather have her be notorious than dangerous. Please don't talk to her again."

Steve stiffened at the President's words. He lived a life of order and respect and following directions. He just didn't understand why Kayla's father would rather she sleep around instead of studying science like she clearly wanted.

 _Why would I know what she wants? I don't know this woman at all._

"Yes, sir. I'll leave now. Good luck President Ellis." Steve grunted, turning quickly to leave. He was Captain America, he didn't need to be treated like a child. He was old enough to be Mathew's father. And why was he getting upset about this? Why was he getting upset about going back to his normal life? At least normal for his life...

A car drove him to the hotel, where he was directed to a large meeting room. The President had called in his plans and his media team was working on enacting them. Nick Fury waved Steve over to where the Avengers sat around a table, still dressed in their uniforms, aside from Tony who was in a black t-shirt and jeans.

"Welcome to hell Cap. Your little girlfriend has created quite a mess for all of us!" Tony called out as Steve approached, unlatching his shield from his back for the first time since he got out of the rubble.

"She's not my girlfriend." He snarled, taking a seat beside Banner.

"Good, because you won't be seeing her again," Fury stated, standing in front of the team. "Whoever orchestrated today's little stunt was trying to send a message to the Avengers, but there wasn't really any stakes. Earth's mightiest heroes against some small time kidnapper's and we brought down the whole damn building. This ends now. The Avengers were meant for more than this. This is what SHIELD is for. And SHIELD and the World Council have finally struck a deal. Working side by side in the Triskelion. Gideon Malick is no longer on the council. I have asked an ally of mine to become Secretary of the World Security Council. Alexander Pierce has been a trusted friend for over twenty years, and together with SHIELD, the World Security Council will be in charge of any threats for the time being."

"What are you saying Fury?" Steve snapped, patience running thin.

"I'm saying that I think it's time the Avengers take some time to regroup. Apart. If the time comes that we need you all, we'll let you know. But you've all got lives to live. We've become a joke. The Avengers were meant for more than this. So, for the time being, we are going to lay low. Stark, you'll go back to New York and do whatever the hell you do. Banner can join you if you'd like, or if you'd rather return to Calcutta where we found you that can be arranged. Barton, we're putting you back on Operation: Safehouse for the foreseeable future."

"And what about us?" Natasha asked, throwing a glance at Steve. The soldier stared blankly ahead, not caring what happened to him now.

"You and Cap will stay here in Washington D.C. Work for SHIELD. We're working on a covert team called STRIKE, and we'd like the two of you to help train them. And vise versa." Fury told the pair.

"So that's it? That's how it ends?" Steve pondered aloud, meeting Fury's eye.

"It's not over. The Avengers are taking a break. When the world needs you again, you'll know."

500 views already! Thank you to everyone who read, favorited, and followed this story! Please feel free to leave reviews and tell me your thoughts, it will really help me gauge how people are reacting to certain aspects of the story!


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: Thank you all for reading this story! This is my FAVORITE chapter so far, so I hope you guys like it! Now that the groundwork is laid I can't wait to delve in deeper! Please favorite and follow and PLEASE leave me reviews! I'd love to hear what you all think! 

**8 Months Later**

The city lights of Washington D.C. never dimmed, and even two years after being found in the ice, Steve still couldn't sleep. So many nights, those city lights filtered through his apartment windows, giving just enough light for him to sketch lazily in his armchair.

He tried not to watch the clock because if he didn't know what time it was, he wouldn't know how many hours he had before he had to return to the Triskelion for more training. His alarm would go off at six o'clock, and he always hoped for a little sleep. Some nights he was luckier than others.

Steve had been training every day with Natasha and Brock Rumlow, Commander of the STRIKE team. He enjoyed working with the team because it got out his pent-up energy. Steve was a fast learner, quickly picking up different fighting techniques. He wasn't completely sure about all of their ideas though, because espionage was not something he was interested in. But that's what SHIELD did, and this was his home now. He just wanted to fit in.

Once he was alone though, he went back to his old ways: moping and drawing. He didn't enjoy going out with the team for drinks, because drinking did nothing. He shook his head at Natasha's attempts at setting him up with women, knowing he wasn't the type of date the modern women would want. He had started a notebook of things to research, which grew longer and longer every day he came home from SHIELD. Thank goodness for the internet, he was able to get caught up on everything he missed.

But once Steve grew weary of the dim light of the laptop, he'd turn to his sketchpad and pencils. Drawing never changed. He could draw as he always had, and it brought him peace during the sleepless nights. He drew people and things he had lost. He drew his childhood home in Brooklyn. He drew Peggy and Howard, who would sometimes morph into Tony. He drew Bucky. He drew Bucky when he felt most lost.

When he felt hopeful though, after an especially successful mission or when he held a conversation about modern media that he understood, he would sometimes draw Kayla Ellis.

Her green eyes were burned into his brain, big and sparkling with passion. Passion for science, passion for fun, passion for trouble. He could still remember the soft feeling of her skin as he carried her out of the rubble of that warehouse, the way her waist length blonde hair fell behind her shoulders. He imagined all that hair was heavy, he'd never seen anyone with that much thick, long hair. He wasn't sure if it was even real, as he learned modern women did all sorts of ridiculous things to be more beautiful in their own minds. He imagined running his hands through her long hair, stroking her soft skin. Sometimes, when he was feeling especially daring, he'd imagine kissing her. It was almost a memory because it almost happened. For him he just remembered it as if it had: at that gala where they first met, him against the bar, preparing himself to kiss her cherry lips

That didn't happen though. He didn't kiss her. He never felt her hair between his fingers and the only time he felt her pale skin was while he saved her from the building he made the call to destroy. Just because it didn't happen though, didn't mean he couldn't imagine it while his fingers worked on the paper.

The sun began to rise over the National Capital. Steve sighed deeply, preparing to face the day. It was Saturday. He was off on Saturday. Well, not off, but Nick Fury instructed for him to not come in on Saturdays and Sundays unless they needed him to. Fury wanted Steve to get out and be around people other than at the Triskelion. He knew Steve had good people skills, but he felt uncomfortable with the common man. It had been too many years since he was spending time around non-super-hero friends.

He stood and walked to his small bedroom. He passed his bed and walked to his wall closet, pulling out a black workout shirt and a pair of dark sweatpants. After dressing for the morning, he passed the mirror, tugging up his shorter blonde hair. Natasha had suggested the change, saying maybe changing his appearance would make this life change a little easier. She was wrong. It didn't make a difference. He looked more modern, more like everyone else, but he still felt the same. He was still Steve Rogers, everyone else was just different.

After lacing up his tennis shoes, he grabbed the cell phone he was asked to carry on his person, as well as his wallet and keys to his apartment. After trotting down the stairs of the old building, he found his motorcycle and rode to his favorite running spot: the National Mall.

As seven o'clock rolled around, Steve was running along the water between the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. The February air was chilly, but the cold only pushed him to run harder. Had he been there earlier, like he did on the weekdays before work, he'd have the path more or less to himself. Occasionally others would run before six, but usually, he found himself alone. He had made the conscious decision to run later on Saturdays though so that he could be around people. They wanted him to be around people.

Steve didn't pay much attention to the other runners, only enough to make sure he didn't hit them as he sprinted past. However, the other runners noticed him.

As he passed the Lincoln Memorial, a women running with her dog stopped suddenly, causing her Rhodesian Ridgeback to bark at the stranger. "It couldn't be..." She gasped, watching him run. It had to be, no regular man could run that fast. It had to be Steve Rogers.

A million thoughts rushed through the woman's mind, and she couldn't decide if she should approach the man or take her dog for a run elsewhere.

 _He doesn't want to see me. He never came back. He was told to never speak to me again. I can't- I shouldn't-_

Suddenly, Steve lapped her and her dog again. "On your left." He stated, never stopping to look at her.

The fifty-pound dog barked loudly and began chasing after the soldier, easily ripping the leash out of his owner's hands.

The moment Kayla lost her grip on the dog she broke into a sprint, "Zawadi get back here!" She yelped, but the dog kept running.

Steve couldn't help but notice the barking dog he had passed earlier seemed closer, and his mind worked quickly to realize the woman couldn't have caught up to him this fast. He slowed his pace and turned, the massive dog running his way, leash trailing behind it. The dog's owner wasn't nearly fast enough to catch her dog, so Steve began to jog towards the canine instead of away from it.

Once the Rhodesian caught Steve it jumped up onto him, causing the soldier to swat the dog away gently, scooping down to gather the leash from the ground. Once he stood back up he realized the dog's owner had finally reached them, and his breath caught in his throat.

"Miss Ellis!" He choked out, unsure if the color in his cheeks had drained or intensified.

"Ste-Captain Rogers," Kayla corrected herself, determined to follow the directions set before the both of them. She panted, face red from the cold air and the run she had endured, both before and after her dog escaped. She motioned to the panting dog who looked between her and Steve, "Thank you for catching him. He's, uh, faster than me." She wheezed a little, leaning over and allowing her hands to rest on her knees. It was a bad move, as the dog took the opportunity to lick his large tongue across her face.

"I can see that." Steve laughed weakly, taking her in. "What kind of dog is he?" He asked as he handed the leash over to Kayla. As soon as she had it in her hand, the dog tried to take off running again, but Steve grabbed just below her hand, effectively pulling the dog's harness to a stop. "Sit," Steve commanded, and the dog obeyed.

"What-how do you do that? Does being a super soldier give you dog whispering abilities?" Kayla scoffed, wrapping the leash around her wrist to get a better grip.

"I'm a Captain, maybe it's in my blood." He shrugged, not realizing he'd made some sort of self-depreciating joke, but Kayla smiled at it none the less.

"This is Zawadi," She motioned to the dog who sat quietly next to Steve's legs, "He's a Rhodesian Ridgeback. I got him while I was in Africa."

"Africa?" Steve stated, remembering he had read she was overseas working on opening up several schools for poorer nations.

"Yeah, I'd helped fund a school in Ethiopia last year. It turned out really well, and Wakanda is just starting to branch out, so my dad thought maybe they would benefit from some help." Kayla knew her father had ulterior motives in reaching out to the poor nation. Not only did he want to improve relations with the reclusive Wakandans, but he also wanted to get his daughter out of the country and far away from the Avengers.

"Wakanda huh?" Steve muttered, realizing he was only able to mumble short sentences to her explanations.

"Yeah..." Kayla wiped sweat from her forehead and took a swig of her water, "It took about seven months from start to finish. They, uh, don't have a ton of resources. I lived in a hut for seven months. There were snakes, and bugs, and rhinos."

Steve held back a laugh, clearly the President's daughter wasn't used to being in the wilderness.

"When I first arrived the Prince and Princess traveled to meet me where they had requested we build the school. They are very nice. He's gotten very handsome." Kayla tried to judge Steve's gaze, but it didn't change. Bummer. "They came every few weeks to check on the progress of the school, the Princess was very interested in my scientific work. I was feeling especially lonely two months in, I had told her I missed my dog, Maddy. So a month later she came back with him." She motioned to the dog, still panting next to Steve. "They called him 'Zawadi', which I took to mean that was his name. They told me weeks later that Zawadi means gift...I don't think they wanted to correct me." She blushed, remembering the memory. "He's uh, bigger than my Maltese. He's also a puppy so he's only going to get bigger... and more rambunctious. There are no lions for him to chase off in D.C."

"No, no I don't believe there are." Steve tried to hide his smile but seeing Kayla flustered made his heart swell.

"I came home two weeks ago, Zawadi in tow. Maddy isn't very happy with me for leaving her for seven months and bringing back...him. So she prefers Tiffany now and I have a Rhodesian Ridgeback. But it's the thought that counts." She finished her tale, smiling lovingly at the puppy. She turned back to Steve, her resolve to stay professional fading slightly. "How have you been? You look...different. Your hair is shorter."

 _His hair is shorter? Good one, now he thinks I'm a stalker._

Steve tugged at his hair, smiling a little that she had noticed. "I've been busy. Working at SHIELD. I've learned a lot. Met lots of people. Well, agents, but... learned about the Superbowl last week, that was exciting. Not as exciting as baseball, but times have changed." He started to ramble, trying to think of something significant to say to the girl. But he didn't want to admit to her he was unhappy.

"You know baseball is still a thing right? They play in the spring. We could- you could always get a season pass and go watch them play."

 _No, no we. We are not a 'we'. He is him and I am me, and we are not together and this meeting is an accident and it won't happen again._

"Perhaps. It would give me something to do." Steve caught her slip up, and also noticed her squished face, chastising herself for suggesting they go together. "You- uh- look different too. Your hair is different I think, you aren't as pale."

Kayla raised her eyebrow incredulously, taking in the stuttering soldier, "Yeah, being out in the sun in Africa for seven months can cause a person to get a tan."

Steve blushed profusely that time, afraid he had offended her. But she really did look different. Her pale skin was almost olive from being in the sun, and her platinum white hair was dyed a soft honey blonde that couldn't have reached much farther past her shoulders had it not been in a ponytail. Her long sleeved running shirt and yoga pants were tight, allowing Steve to see the girl wasn't as slim as she was last time he saw her. She'd been fed well, and worked hard, as her arm and calf muscles weren't as lean as they were last summer.

"You look really good Miss Ellis." Steve finally blurted out, taking a chance and saying what he really thought. It was her turn to blush as she pushed a stray piece of hair away from her face.

"Thank you, Captain Rogers." She murmured, looking down to avoid his eyes. "Well, I should let you get back to your run. Get this nut home. It was nice to see you Captain..."

"You never called me Captain Rogers."

This caught Kayla by surprise almost as much as her dog refusing to leave Steve's side. She looked from Zawadi to the man, "What?"

"You always called me Steve."

"You say 'always' like we spent more time together than we did. It was two days, one of which I almost died." Kayla snapped, letting her emotions get the better of her. She wasn't mad at Steve though, she was mad at the circumstances that brought her to and kept her away from Steve.

"You were forward and aggressive and unprofessional both days. You put me in great danger in more ways than one." Steve countered, matching her sass.

"Well if that's what you thought of me, then you should be happy I've kept my distance." Kayla pulled harder on the leash, but Zawadi simply laid down next to Steve, pulling his weight against the harness to stay.

"I've thought about you every day for seven months." Steve spat, not realizing how heated it sounded. He was angry he couldn't get her out of his head. They had chemistry and he was angry at how she treated him. How she teased him, then left him. Just because he knew she didn't have a choice didn't mean he had to be happy about never seeing her.

"I thought about you every night in that hut. When the rains pounded the roof it was _you_ I wanted there to take care of me. When I was seven thousand miles away from my family on Christmas it was _you_ I was thinking about!" She yelled, taking a step towards Steve, angry that she wanted him and couldn't have him. Angry that even after seven months in Africa trying to become the kind of women worthy of Steven Grant Rogers she still wasn't good enough.

"Why me? Why would you want me? I'm not the kind of man you want." Steve took a step closer, voice quieting but not losing its intensity. "I can't give you what you want."

Kayla finally closed the gap between them so they were inches away, Steve standing six inches taller than her. Her face softened, taking in his blue eyes, and his set jaw, and his shorter hair, and the two lines formed between his eyebrows because of his deep-set frown. "Steve, all I want is you."

Steve grabbed Kayla Ellis and smashed his lips onto hers, kissing her desperately and passionately. She returned the sentiment, hands grasping upward to grab at his face. For a moment, a brief moment, the rest of the world and its problems faded away.

But the moment ended, and Steve pulled away, not looking back as he walked back towards his motorcycle. The blonde and her dog stared after him, the former touching her lips gently as he left.


	10. Chapter 10

"You seem distracted Cap, everything alright?" Rumlow asked Steve as they worked on a training exercise in the gym at the Triskelion.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Steve grunted, throwing another terrible punch that Rumlow was able to block, then punched Steve in the gut. Rogers wasn't even fazed by the hit, but he also didn't retaliate as he should have.

"Well fine isn't going to cut it in the real world. Focus." Rumlow brandished a knife, taking a swing at Steve, but Steve blocked him and twisted the knife from his hand easily, dropping it to the ground. Then he dropped to the ground and swept Brock legs, causing him to fall.

"I am focused," Steve growled again, standing and facing his opponent again.

"That's enough gentlemen. Captain, a word." Nick Fury strode into the room, black trenchcoat wafting behind him. He motioned for Steve to follow him to the corner of the gym.

"You have a mission, sir?" Steve questioned, using a towel to wipe his face, even though he hadn't broken a sweat.

"No, I do not." Fury started, glancing at Rumlow who was watching them from the bench. "Clean up, then meet me outside, we are going for a walk."

Fury turned and left the gym, and Rumlow motioned to him after he was out of sight. Steve just shrugged, yelling over the people training, "He doesn't tell me anything."

After showering and stowing his gym clothes in a locker, Steve met Fury outside, dressed in his STRIKE Stealth uniform. SHIELD was trying to downplay the whole Star Spangled Man concept with the darker, sleeker look. For Steve, it was just another reminder that they were trying to turn him into someone new.

As the two men began to walk, Fury eyed Steve curiously, "I've heard you met with Kayla Ellis Saturday."

Steve looked ahead, squinting in the sun, "Where'd you hear that? Do you have people spying on me Director?"

"Watching out for you Cap." Fury corrected, "Which seems to be justified since you directly disobeyed orders by meeting Miss Ellis."

"I was going for a run, she happened to be there and I was able to help her catch her dog. We caught up. It's the polite thing to do." Steve said curtly, not wanting to elaborate.

"So you are denying kissing her in front of the National Monument?"

Steve turned to Nicholas Fury, a scowl on his face, "No, I do not. That is nobody's business but ours anyway."

"Yes. It. Is. You were given strict orders by the President of the United States to stay away from his daughter and she was sent to Africa for half a year to be kept away from you. She holds the key to your destruction, and you think keeping contact with her will keep you safe? SHIELD has the formula she created under lock and key but I'm sure she still has a copy. I can't risk losing Captain America." Fury declared. He sighed, rubbing his temples. "I know you two are intrigued by each other, and I know I can't stop you from seeing her. Just be careful. I can't help you if the White House turns against you."

Steve nodded, eyes still steely, "I don't mean to hurt her, and I won't let her get too close to hurt me."

"I hope you don't Captain." Fury started to leave, then turned to face Steve once again, "Good luck Rogers. You deserve something happy in your life."

With Nick Fury's blessing, Steve changed out of his stealth uniform and left it in his locker. He replaced it with a grey t-shirt, jeans, and his favorite brown leather jacket. He fixed his hair and walked out the doors of the Triskelion, making his way to the parking garage to collect his Harley and leave. It was only noon, but he was taking the rest of the day off, something that surprised Rumlow but not Fury.

When he asked if he could take the afternoon off, Nick Fury had slipped him a phone number, not saying anything. Steve didn't know who the number was for, but he knew there was only one way to find out.

Once he parked his motorcycle outside his D.C. apartment, he trotted up the stairs and pulled out his key to open the door. His neighbor Kate, who was a nurse, came out of her door. She pulled on her gray peacoat and nodded a greeting. "Hey. Someone stopped by your apartment earlier, they left you that note." She pointed towards an envelope sticking out from the door frame.

"Really? Anyone you know?" He questioned, looking between the blonde and the envelope. He hoped it had been from Kayla, but he was sure his neighbor would have recognized the First Daughter.

"Nope, never seen her before. Little brunette women with a small white dog." The girl shrugged. "It didn't seem too urgent. She just mentioned I tell you in case the letter fell I guess. But I have to head to work, I'll see you later." She smiled sweetly, turning to leave.

"See you later, Kate," Steve called after her, before plucking the envelope from his doorframe.

After opening the door and locking it behind him, Steve looked around cautiously, knowing anyone could have found him. Once he was sure he was alone, he opened the envelope, and a key fell out onto his table. He peeled open the letter that held a post-it note over the letter.

"I was instructed to leave you this key and address. If you come, make sure you are ready to stay, because there's no going back. If you have any questions or need directions, call me on my cell. Tiffany" Steve read aloud, noting the phone number was the same as the one Nick Fury had given him. He couldn't help but feel Tiffany had reached out to Fury, which resulted in him having her number. He peeled off the post-it and disregarded it, turning his attention to the cursive handwritten note before him,

 _Dear Captain Rogers,_

 _I know how much trouble you could get in, both with SHIELD and with my father, but I want to see you. Before I met you, I was intrigued. Once I met you, I was infatuated. Once you kissed me, I was yours. You know I can't stop thinking about you, and I think you feel the same. I know you have no reason to trust me, and I know I'm not the type of woman you see yourself with. You certainly aren't the type of guy I saw myself with. You are honest, brave, selfless, and caring. And you are so damn handsome._

 _Give me a chance Steven Rogers. I want to know who you really are. I swear on my life I won't hurt you. If this thing we have doesn't go anywhere, we go our separate ways and never see each other again. But don't we owe it to ourselves to try?_

 _Here is a key to my apartment. It's off the grid, and no one will know we are there together. If you want to see me, come. If you don't, I'll know why, and I don't blame you for choosing to stay away. But I hope you come._

 _Forever Yours,_

 _Kayla Dawn Ellis_

Steve set the letter down on his table and picked up the key. He looked at it for a moment, then considered Tiffany's words. If he goes, there's no turning back. They'd have to meet in secret and be very cautious, and Steve didn't like lying. He didn't like espionage. Meeting Kayla would mean courting a life he didn't enjoy. But he could get to know her. And Kayla was right, if the relationship went south, they wouldn't see each other, which was exactly what was happening now.

Steve had nothing to lose. But the honorable man put the key and letter back in the envelope and sat down to sketch his thoughts away.

"He's not coming. He's nooooot coming. He's not coming." Kayla murmured as she paced back and forth in her apartment. Zawadi laid with his face on the ground, Maddy curled up beside him. The little dog was coming around to her younger companion, even if he was a little too energetic for her taste.

"Kaylaaaa," Tiffany moaned, laying on upside down on the couch so her hair hung to the floor and her feet rested against the top. "You are driving me crazy. If the man wants to see you, he'll see you. You made it incredibly clear where he can find you. As if it was hard enough to begin with."

Kayla stopped and looked at her friend, "But you weren't _there_ Tiff, you didn't see how he kissed me. I was sure he felt the way I did." Kayla bit the side of her finger, beginning her pacing again, staring at the floor. "What if the letter got lost? What if he never got it? What if he got lost, he's not from around here-"

"He's Captain America, he can find an apartment. It's nine at night, lets put in a movie, eats some ice cream. You don't even know if he's in town, what if he's on a mission for SHIELD? You are panicking over nothing. Ice cream. Movie. Tequilllaaaa." Tiffany cooed as she rolled off the couch and into their kitchen. She pulled a bottle of tequila out of the fridge and two shot glasses out of the cupboard. After pouring the shots she returned to the living room, passing one to her best friend. "You know, I don't remember the last time we hung out and worried about a guy. It's nice to have you home Kay."

Kaya's eyes met Tiff's and a small smile grew, "It's nice to be home too. Not the big white prison, but here, in our home."

Tiffany shrugged, pulling her short brown hair behind her ear, "I wouldn't call it a prison. I love when we stay there. The foods better."

"One shot. That's it. I don't do that anymore." Kayla murmured before tossing back the glass and letting the golden liquid slip down her throat. "I'm gonna go get ready for bed, get the movie and the ice cream ready, I'll be right back!"

Kayla went into her room, closing the door to her suite behind her. She went to her walk-in bathroom and took out her contacts and washed her face, wiping away the smokey eye and red lip she'd painted on, hoping Steve would come to her door. Maybe Tiffany was right, maybe he was away? Maybe he hadn't gotten her letter? Maybe he... maybe he wasn't interested. Perhaps he had kissed her and gotten those feelings out of his system and moved on. Perhaps she'd never hear from him again.

A single tear slid down her cheek, and she wiped it quickly, looking up at the ceiling to try to keep more from following.

 _Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Everything is going to be fine. He's not important. He's not important..._

After putting on satin pajamas and pulling her hair into a messy bun, Kayla returned to the couch and was handed a bowl of Rocky Road. "Thanks friend." She said through a mouthful of ice cream. She grabbed the whipped cream Tiff had set on the table and filled her mouth with it.

"Wow" Tiffany gawked as her friend ate pure whipped cream from the can. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen. You know I love you, but girl, you have got to get your life back on track! You were doing so well after Africa and ever since you saw Steve you've spiraled. Like, after you got dumped by the tennis player spiraled. But with less alcohol." Tiffany pointed to the fridge, alluding to wanting more tequila.

"Sure. One more. Just one." Kayla obliged, starting the movie as Tiffany got up for more drinks.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has favorited this story! Please please please leave me reviews about any feelings you have! I've only gotten one review and I'm super in my head about this story, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated! Thank you all 3

The sun came up over the girls' D.C. apartment, finding the two passed out on the couch. Tiffany's legs were sprawled across Kayla's thigh, and the blonde rested her head on a pillow by the armrest. The bottle of tequila sat empty on the table, shot glasses discarded on the ground. The ice cream was mostly finished, the leftovers melted into mush on the floor.

It was Saturday again, and Kayla hadn't seen Steve in a week. It had been four days since Tiffany had left Steve's note at his apartment. It had been four nights filled with tequila, ice cream, and chick flicks. It had been three days since Kayla had left the apartment, and two mornings she woke up not remembering the night before. She especially didn't remember the man who came out of her bedroom on Friday morning, but worse things had happened.

But today was Saturday, and when the sun shifted through the windows onto Kayla's face, she moaned and grabbed for the tequila bottle. She found nothing but droplets at the bottom of the glass. She whimpered and set the bottle back down, burying her face into the pillow. Zawadi made his way over to her and began licking at her face.

"Noooo Zadi noooo." Kayla moaned, swatting the puppy away. Maddy began barking, needing to go outside.

"I've taken both of them out for the past three days. Your turn." Tiff kicked at her friend, pushing her towards the edge of the couch.

Kayla winced as she stood up, hand to her head to stop the pulsing. "Okay okay puppies, give me a second." She wandered towards the door, pulling her hair up into a knot because bun couldn't even describe her hair anymore.

As she swung the door open, Steve Rogers stood on the other side, hand raised to knock. When she saw him she slammed the door closed and backed up against the door.

"Tifanny!" She hissed as she slid down to the ground, back still holding the door closed. The two dogs began barking, Zawadi pawing furiously at the door. The brunette popped her head over the couch. "Tiffany! It's _him."_

"Shit!" Tiffany yelped as she jumped over the couch, collecting the dog leashes. "Let me take these two, _talk to him."_ She whispered as she smoothed down yesterdays clothes and prepared to open the door.

Both girls took a deep breath, Kayla hiding behind the door, waiting to finally confront the man who stood her up.

Tiffany swung open the door grandly, "Captain Rogers! A little early to see you isn't it?" She looked at her fit bit, displaying the time as 7:28.

"Uh, yes, I'm sorry, I had hoped you guys would be up... you live here?" Steve stuttered.

"Yes, yes I do, with Kayla. But, I have to go walk the dogs before-" She glanced down, noticing the larger dog starting to lift his leg.

Steve looked down and scolded, "No." The dog stopped and Tiffany took this opportunity to scurry out the door.

"Come in Steve." She muttered as she passed him, leaving the door ajar.

Steve gently pushed open the apartment door, taking in the modest appearance. It was bigger than his, but not as fancy as he expected. The kitchen was old, but the appliances were nice. They had a nice four person table and three barstools near the counter. The couch faced the windows and a large tv stood in front of the blinds. Steve could see a door open on the far side by the kitchen, a bedroom on that side, and another closed door to the left which he assumed to be Kayla's room.

"Miss Ellis?" He called as he closed the door quietly behind him. He made his way past the couch over to the closed door. He knocked against the door softly, wondering if the blonde he'd caught a glimpse of was inside.

"Just- give me a second-maybe come back later." Kayla stumbled, trying to find a bra.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to come, Kayla, I just-" The door swung open, revealing Kayla there in a tank top and booty shorts. Thick framed glasses shielded her green eyes and her face was slightly red without any makeup. Her mouth was agape though, staring up at Steve with wide, excited eyes.

"You called me Kayla," She said, beaming from ear to ear, "You've never called me Kayla before. You always call me Miss Ellis."

Steve's smile grew as she spoke until he finally couldn't contain it, "Well, I realized I didn't like when you called me Captain Rogers, so I wanted to see how you felt about me calling you Kayla."

"Say it again." She purred, stepping closer. It was then that Steve realized she hadn't found her bra, and that she was barely clothes, inches from pressing against him.

In a moment, Steve considered backing away, telling her they needed to talk. For the first time in seventy years, Steve didn't think with his head. And to his embarrassment, he realized he wasn't thinking with his heart either. "Kayla." He uttered, taking a step closer and pushing her back into the bedroom. He closed the door behind him, so they would be alone when Tiffany came back.

"Steve." She breathed feeling him against her. She then also realized she hadn't found her bra, or her bathrobe, or her clothes, or any of the things she had been looking for in order to make this encounter less awkward. "I had planned on wearing clothes for this moment-"

"I figured, but your lack of clothes is, uh, it's fine. I got your letter...I got it a few days ago. I should have come earlier, but I needed time to think."

Kayla snorted, taking a step away from Steve, which made his face fall, "Yes, you should have. I poured my heart out to you. I wanted you so desperately. I cried and I drank, and I drank, and I drank, and eight months of sobriety fell to waste because of you. So yes, you should have come earlier."

"I'm here now. Unless you have changed your mind." Steve closed the gap again, hands fiddling at his sides because he wasn't sure how she'd react to him embracing her.

"No." She mumbled, eyes avoiding Steve. "No, I want you here."

"Then let's talk." Steve hummed, taking a step towards the loveseat in the corner of her bedroom. As he moved away she gasped, needing him like she needed air. She followed him, sitting down next to him on the small purple couch.

"You know how I feel Steve. Do you feel the same way?" Kayla prodded, grasping his hand quickly so she wouldn't lose her nerve.

"I want to get to know you Kayla. I just don't know how to date. At all, especially not a modern woman. I'm not ready-" He dared a glance down to her breasts and blushed profusely as he quickly looked back into her eyes, "for-for this."

She laughed and scooted closer to Steve, leaning her side against him so he wouldn't feel uncomfortable. "Then we'll go slow, and we'll figure it out together. Whatever you want. I just want to get to know you."

Steve smiled grandly as he placed an arm around her shoulder, holding her tight. "What do you want to know?"

"Tell me what your mom was like?" She asked gently, rolling over in the loveseat a little so she could see his face while he talked.

"Her name was Sarah," He smiled at the memory, staring off like he could see her in his head, "She was beautiful and strong. She was a nurse. Blonde like you. She was so brave taking care of me without Dad."

"Do you remember your childhood?" Kayla asked carefully, not wanting to upset Steve, but wanting to learn something that wasn't in the history books.

"All of it. Every bloody nose, broken bone, weeks spent in bed because I was too sick to go to school. I had Mom, and I had Bucky. I didn't have much else. It was a different time, the Great Depression."

"I-I can't imagine..." Kayla murmured, pressing her lips to his collarbone, taking in the gravity of the situation. The man she was getting to know was born in 1918, he was almost a century old. He was a super soldier who hasn't aged and would maybe live forever. What part of that would she play?

"Nobody asks me about my life before the serum," Steve stated, placing his chin on her head. "I normally hate talking about it... but I like that you want to know."

"You are very interesting Steve Rogers."

"So you are Kayla Ellis." He answered and they looked at each other fondly. "I would very much like to take you on a date."

She smiled grandly, contemplating his request. "So we are really going to do this?"

"Yes. I'd like to get to know you more, but first..." He leaned down and kissed her gently. He cupped her face with his hand and stroked her cheek. She pushed up against his lips, reaching up to grab the back of his head. He pulled away slightly, lust filling his eyes, "You are going to make it very hard for me to stay a gentleman aren't you?" He groaned, stroking her arm with his thumb.

"Yes, yes I am. But just remember I'm not the only one being difficult." She laughed, planting another soft kiss on his lips. "But, I'll start making your life easier by putting real clothes on."

"Sounds good!" Steve resolved, standing and offering his hand to Kayla. "I'll wait in the living room."

"You don't have to..." She cooed, reaching for the bottom of her tank top.

"Yes, I do." He reminded her, grabbing her hand and kissing it.

She twisted her face into a smirk, sighing, "Okay. Whatever you want."

As Steve left the suite, he closed the door behind him, coming face to face with a fifty-pound dog leaping onto him, reaching to lick his face. "Zawadi, sit!" The dog sat obediently, tail wagging as he panted up at the soldier. The little pitter-patter of little feet announced the arrival of Maddy, who also attempted to jump on Steve, but couldn't even reach his calf she was so small. He looked around and found Tiffany nowhere to be found, but there was music wafting from the now closed door near the kitchen.

Steve sat on the floor near Kayla's door, scratching Zawadi behind the ear while his head rested on Steve's thigh. Maddy was curled up against Zawadi, snoring softly. He enjoyed their company. The dogs didn't ask anything of him, only his affection. It was a nice change from the demanding world of SHIELD and the Avengers.

The door beside him opened and Kayla came out, dressed in tight jeans and a red blouse. She had showered and pulled her wet hair into a side braid. She was still wearing the glasses she had on when he arrived, and he liked them. She wasn't wearing a mask in front of him.

"Hey, guys!" She cooed as she sat next to Steve. Maddy perked up and trotted over to Kayla, but Zawadi simply side eyed her, not lifting his head from Steve's leg. "Well someone likes you better." She laughed as she cuddled Maddy against her chest.

"No, not better. I'm just different." Steve patted the puppy on his ridged back, causing Zawadi to lift his head to look up at him, then Kayla.

"I think I might like different," Kayla responded, taking his free hand in hers.

"Yeah, me too," Steve answered, and they sat like that in silence for what seemed forever, at peace for once.


	12. Chapter 12

**Two Months Later**

"Kayla! Steve's here!" Tiffany called from the kitchen as Steve let himself in. Over the course of their two months of being together, he'd finally become comfortable enough to use the key she gave him to get into the apartment. He'd been hesitant at first because he didn't want to intrude on the women's space, but eventually, he got used to the idea.

"Hey Tiffany," Steve waved after placing his keys in his pocket, his other hand holding a giant bouquet of roses. He yanked one out and gave it to Tiffany, who blushed as she took it from his strong hand.

Kayla opened her bedroom door and the dogs ran out to greet Steve. Zawadi had gained another twenty pounds in two months, bringing him up to a seventy pound, nine month old puppy.

"Hey, handsome." Steve patted the dog's head as the dog wagged its tail hard against the tile. Maddy barked and jumped up into Steve's free arm, trying to lick at his neck. Steve gave the smaller dog a kiss before setting her down with her companion. He stood up and smoothed his dress shirt. Once his gaze drifted back over to the bedroom door he finally saw her.

Kayla's hair had grown long again, almost down to her elbows, and she'd curled it and pulled it up into pin curls. She wore her favorite red lipstick that made her perfect teeth look even whiter. Her eyelashes were fake, but they made her eyes even more beautiful. She wore a royal blue shirtwaist dress with capped sleeves. She'd stumbled upon it at a thrift store with Steve and was tickled to have something that reminded him of his past. The dress was modest by design but she kept the top button undone so her cleavage was showing. On her feet were her favorite black stilettos, which Steve had come to adore.

"Look at my girl!" Steve howled as she waltzed out to meet him. "You'll be the most beautiful dame at the club." He handed her the bouquet of roses, which she immediately shoved to her nose to smell.

"You don't look so bad yourself Soldier." She winked, eyeing him up and down. Steve wore a deep red dress shirt and black slacks. He slicked back his hair as he used to when it was longer, which reminded Kayla of the old film reels she saw of him from the forties.

After Kayla handed her roses off to Tiff, Steve grabbed her hand and twirled her around before pulling her close to him. Her hands landed on his chest and she could feel his muscles beneath his shirt. He dipped her easily, one hand holding her shoulder blades and the other dipping lower than he ever would have dreamed of in his youth.

"Getting handsy already darling, what will the other girls think of me." She cooed to him in a light southern accent.

"They'll be jealous of how beautiful you are, and aspire to be like you so one day someone will grab them the way I hold you," Steve growled back seductively, never pulling her up from her dipped position.

"You two are going to make me sick." Tiffany groaned as she snapped a photo of the couple on her phone. "Go stand by the door and I'll take your picture, the lighting is perfect right now."

Steve and Kayla obliged, smiling from ear to ear. He held her waist and her hand sat lazily on his chest. After a few moments, he tilted up her chin and kissed her, causing her smile to somehow grow.

"Get out of here you crazy kids. Be safe, okay?" Tiffany warned, holding back Zawadi and Maddy as the pair left for the evening.

"Can you believe it's our first time going out dancing?" Kayla exclaimed as she scampered her way down the stairs in her heels. "Are you nervous?"

She knew Steve didn't like the thought of dancing. He had been very open about Peggy Carter in the early days of their relationship when they would sit around for hours and eat pizza and talk about their lives. She finally understood why he had frozen up at her request the night they met and had apologized once she understood the significance of it.

She hadn't pushed him into going out, most of their evenings were spent at her apartment together. To keep up appearances, Kayla and Tiffany would often go clubbing with their girl friends on Saturday nights, which Steve had happily supported. As the weeks passed they saw each other every day unless Steve was sent on a mission or Kayla was out of town with her parents. Steve would go to work, Kayla would fulfill her various responsibilities, and then afterward, Steve would park a few blocks away, walk in circles a few times, then make his way to her apartment. On Saturdays and Sundays he'd go run in the early morning, then she'd go running with the dogs after he'd finished, and he'd be waiting for her at her apartment.

Tonight though was a special night. Monday night Steve had brought Chinese takeout and shown her the poster for a 1940's forties themed night at a local club. Kayla was unsure about the pair going out to such a public event, but Steve was tired of hiding in her fourth-floor apartment. He wanted to take his lady out on a proper date, but both were scared about the possibility of being caught. It was risky enough just seeing each other. Steve finally convinced Kayla to go out dancing with him, because he'd waited seventy years for a dance and he didn't want to risk losing his chance again. So she obliged, and he requested she come home with him that night, to stay. She'd packed a small back Thursday evening and sent it back in Steve's gym bag.

It was on that Friday in April that Steve was ready to take the next step with Kayla. Baby steps, but he was making them. Still too much of a gentleman to see her naked, and still not comfortable enough to have sex with her, Steve had finally asked her to stay the night with him. Steve moved at a snail's pace compared to Kayla, but she found it endearing, so she didn't complain.

"I'm nervous that someone will recognize us. We aren't great at fitting in." Steve muttered, opening up the passenger's door of Kayla's car for her to slide in. Once he was seated at the wheel next to her, he buckled up and took a good look at her, "But I'm not nervous about going dancing. I've waited long enough. And so have you, darling."

After kissing her gently, Steve pulled out of the parking spot as the sun started to set on Washington D.C.

Steve parked the small grey Cadillac in the parking lot near the dance club. The place was a start-up, not really popular yet, which solidified Steve's decision to take Kayla there for their first public date.

"Let me get the door for you," Steve ordered, getting out the door quickly but being cautious not to slam the small car door enough to break it. He held out his hand to help her out, and she took it, taking a deep breath of the cool spring air.

"I'm so happy to be going out with you. I'm so tired of the apartment. And I get to see where you live tonight!" Kayla exclaimed happily, bouncing up and down on her heels.

"I am too Kay. You'll be the first girl I've ever brought home."

They entered the club to see a live band playing jazz music at the head of the room, while dozens of couples were swing dancing around the large wooden dance floor. Everyone was dressed to the nines, and Kayla found herself relieved to find most of the women wore dresses like hers, so they shouldn't stand out that much.

"Oh, Darling! Look at it! It's wonderful." She squealed, squeezing Steve's hand happily. She bopped up and kissed him on the cheek, then started sprinting towards the center of the floor.

Steve grinned around him, taken back to his time. For the first time in ages, he felt like he belonged somewhere. Not only did he belong, but he was loved by a beautiful woman, something he never knew in the forties. She hadn't said she loved him yet, and neither had he, but he knew it to be true. In fact, he was planning on telling her how he felt that night...

Steve took her left hand in his right hand and put her right hand on his shoulder while he grabbed her waist and pulled her close.

Kayla gave him a skeptical glance, "I thought you didn't know how to dance?"

Steve shrugged, beginning to move them in time with the music. "I may have spent some time on the internet learning how to swing dance. I didn't want to step on your toes."

The soldier dipped his girl, pecking her neck gently before bringing her back up and pulling her close as the song slowed down. She rested her head on his shoulder and they swayed to the music.

"I'm sorry you had to wait so long for this." She murmured in his ear, and he knew she wasn't talking about dancing with her.

He looked down and tilted up her chin to look at him in the eyes, "You were worth the wait." He took her face and kissed her lips gently, growing more passionate as the slow song faded into a faster one. He hoisted her up, holding her by the thighs as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She threw her head back laughing as he carried her off the dance floor.

Once they were seated in a corner table in the shadows, he took her dainty hand in his strong one. "Kayla, it's been a wonderful two months with you-"

"Oh. My. Gosh. You are Captain America!" A girl shrieked nearby, running up to the couple. "Can I get a photo with you?"

"Sure," Steve answered awkwardly as Kayla hid her face by covering her mouth with her hand to stop the laughter.

The girl's friend ran up and took the photo of the two, then they switched. The girls jumped up and down excitedly, touching Steve longer than he was comfortable with.

"Will you dance with us?" The first girl asked eagerly, grabbing Steve's hand.

"I-uh- I'm sorry-" He stuttered, trying to gently tell the girls he was one a date.

"He's here with his girlfriend." A third female voice came from behind the girls.

The color instantly drained from Steve's face as the girls split and he saw the redhead the voice belonged to. Kayla's laughter turned to panic as she realized they'd been caught, but her hand didn't drop from her face. The two girls turned to her, but she simply turned away, hiding her identity in the shadows.

"Sorry- we're sorry to bother you." The second girl stumbled, pulling her friend away from the Black Widow as she strut over to the couple in her short black dress.

After they were gone, Natasha pulled up a chair and sat in between Steve and Kayla.

"Miss Ellis." She greeted, causing Kayla to finally turn and reveal her face.

"Miss Romanoff," Kayla responded with a curt nod.

"Nat..." Steve started explaining, trying to formulate an explanation in his mind.

"Save it Rogers, I'm not an idiot. You two have been captivated by each other since the night you met. You've been distant at training and distracted on missions. It was super obvious something was up. You didn't go home after work and you walked in circles around apartment buildings until you disappeared. I should have guessed it was her." Natasha pointed her head at Kayla. "Does Fury know? Does her family know?"

"Fury knew it was something I was considering," Steve stated simply. He turned to Kayla, who had her chin in her palm as she stared at the wall. "Her family doesn't know yet."

"Yet? Yet! You were both given strict orders to stay away from each other. Nobody can know about this." Natasha snarled, looking over her shoulder easily.

"Does that mean you are going to keep our secret?" Kayla inquired, turning her head to face the redhead. "You won't tell SHIELD?"

She looked between the two, eyes settling on Steve, "Cap needs something good in his life. I don't think I've ever seen him smile as much as he has tonight. But you guys can't be going out like this often."

"It's the first time we've been in public together since last year." Kayla defended. "We've spent the past two months holed up in my apartment."

"Well if you want to go out again, give me a call, I'll help," Nat responded, standing. "Enjoy your evening."

The pair watched her as she disappeared into the crowd. Then Kayla turned to her boyfriend, "Steve?"

"Yes, Kay?"

"Before the girls, and Natasha, you were saying something?"

Steve cleared his throat, trying to go back to that moment before everything started going awry.

"I-I lo-"

"Is that Steve Rogers?!"

"NO." He barked, holding a hand up to the group of girls running towards him to keep them away. "I'm busy ladies. I'm sorry."

Kayla looked at her boyfriend, impressed that his desire to be with her had become stronger than his need to be courteous. He sighed deeply, took her hands in his and finally stated:

"I love you, Kayla. I love you so much."

She smiled lovingly at the man before her, "I love you too darling."

"I'd like to take you home now if that's okay?" He motioned towards the door as he stood, still holding her hands.

"It's about damn time Rogers."

Author's Note: One of my favorite chapters of the whole story! I have so much fun with these characters when they can go off and do their own thing, but not everyone can be trusted, unfortunately. Please leave me some reviews! Something, anything! I love writing this story so much, but I feel like nobody likes it, and I don't want to write all the way to Infinity War writing something you all hate! I'll post Chapter 13 when I get three reviews! It's my smutty fluff chapter, so get ready for that 3


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Smutty Fluff ahead! Nothing too crazy, but be aware. This is the longest chapter yet and it broke my heart writing it. Please follow and review! (Although I've kind of given up on getting reviews. I love writing this story so much and I've already got 7 chapter qued up.)**

Steve drove Kayla's car to his Washington D. C. apartment. Once parked, he walked around and opened the door for her, offering his hand to help her out. He took her arm in his and led her into the building.

After putting in the code to get into the building, he opened the door for her, making sure no one was following them. He led her up the stairs to the third floor to apartment 4 where he lived. Kayla looked around while he fiddled with the key. Suddenly, Kate's door swung open and she walked out with with a garbage bag.

"Steve!" She exclaimed when she saw him, not hiding her surprise when she saw the women next to him. "Miss Ellis?" She asked suspiciously.

"Uh, yes, I'm a friend of Captain Rogers'. He's uh, helping me with the museum exhibit opening next month at the Smithsonian. My charity is helping to fund some of the displays." Kayla stumbled over her explanation, but it came out sounding legit.

"Yeah, so she's coming over to see some of my belongings in case there's something they can use," Steve added, finally getting the door lock to click open.

"It's eleven o'clock at night Steve, you don't have to explain yourself to me," Kate told him with a wink, then turned and carried her garbage down the stairs.

"Let's get inside," Steve said, gently pushing her through the door.

Once inside, Kayla looked around, taking in where Steve lived. "It's adorable Steve." She said wistfully, making her way over to his desk. "When did you draw these?" She asked, looking through some of his sketches.

He looked up from where he was setting his keys, realizing what she was looking at. "Some of them are new, some are old. You can tell which ones of you are newer because they are more detailed." He came up and wrapped his arms around her, pointing down at the paper. "For months I drew you from memory, but memories only get you so far...Sometimes when I leave you at night, I come straight home and I sketch."

"They are lovely Steve," Kayla responded as she turned to face him. "I've waited a long time for this."

"Kay, we discussed this, we aren't going to-"

"That's not what I meant. I'm just excited to be with you tonight." She whispered in his ear, making her way towards the open door that she assumed was the bedroom. "Where's my stuff?"

"It's in the bedroom." Steve blurted, loosening his shirt collar.

"Meet me here in ten? I'm going to get ready for bed." She cooed as she closed the door to the room.

Steve began to slowly unbutton his dress shirt, becoming increasingly worried that he was in over his head.

Inside his bedroom, Kayla began getting ready to spend the night with Steve. She snooped around, looking through his closet and through his drawers. She beamed when she saw his Avengers uniform, the one he wore when he saved her. She ran her fingers along the material, remembering how it felt as he carried her for the first time. She turned her attention to his drawers, looking through his workout shirts until she finally found a soft t-shirt to wear to bed. After changing into that, she worked on taking out the bobby pins holding in her pin curls. Kayla took her time, knowing that the longer she took, the more anxious Steve would become, and she wanted to tease him a little tonight. She knew tonight walked the line between teasing and uncomfortable. But it was a line Kayla had become accustomed to walking with Steve.

After the clock showed eleven-fifteen, she finally opened the door. She motioned towards the bed, "Come to bed Soldier."

Steve took her in unabashedly, letting his eyes roam from her loose blonde waves to the sight of her in his t-shirt with no pants on underneath. The shirt was huge, but he could tell she wore nothing but panties underneath it. She passed him, making her way to the bathroom to remove her makeup and contacts. It was a routine Steve was already used to since he'd be at her place when she got ready for bed.

When Kayla returned, Steve had removed his dress shirt, but still wore his white undershirt and trousers. He stood in front of the bed, hands in pockets. This became a challenge for his lady. Kayla crossed the room, hips swaying as she made her way to her man.

"Can I?" She pleaded as she snuck her hands under his shirt, pulling up at it to get him to remove it. He gave her a slight nod as he sat on the bed before letting her sloly lift up his shirt until he grabbed it and pulled it over his head. She breathed him in, running her hands over his strong chest and abs, showing no remorse in her gawking. "Are you going to wear those to bed?" Kayla finally asked, pointing at Steve's pants as she reached for his zipper.

"You have no shame, Kay." Steve jested, pulling her grabby hand away and placing a gentle kiss on it. "No, I don't plan on wearing these to bed. I'm going to put on sweatpants. I'll be back."

Kayla's bottom lip jutted out in a pout, eyes sad. But Steve didn't give in to the girl, returning from the bathroom in grey sweatpants as he said he would. He went to the far side of the bed and crawled into the sheets, pulling open a spot next to him for Kayla to crawl in.

"I'm sorry if it's not very comfortable." He admitted, "My bed in New York was too soft and I couldn't sleep, so I got a firmer one here. I bought some extra blankets to make it softer."

Kayla smiled happily as she slid into the bed, "This is fine. As long as you are here. Do you think you'll sleep tonight?" The blonde was aware of Steve's insomnia. For a long time, Steve used that as an excuse to not stay the night together, because he'd keep her awake.

"I think so, Kay." He murmured, leaning over and turning off the bedside lamp. He turned back over and put his arm around her, his bare chest pressing against her back. She could still feel his muscles through the thin shirt. He rubbed her stomach under the shirt, and his fingers found their way higher on their own before Steve realized how far he'd gotten.

"Mr. Rogers!" Kayla giggled, "No, stay." She amended when Steve started to pull his hand away. She could feel the heat radiating from his face against her cheek. "I'm giving you permission Steve. Want me to take the shirt off?" She laughed, holding his hand against her chest.

"No. Not yet Kay." He murmured into her hair. "Your ninety-year-old boyfriend isn't ready for that yet."

"Whatever you say Darling, as long as you hold me."

Kayla waited for some sort of answer, but there was none. All the got as a response was gentle snoring from a sleeping Steve Rogers.

 **One Month Later**

Steve pulled open the blinds to his bedroom window, letting the sunshine wake up his girlfriend. With that one motion, Zawadi jumped onto the bed and began licking her face to stir her.

"Rise and shine Gorgeous." Steve ordered as he leaned down to kiss his girlfriend's head. "I'm making breakfast. I'm gonna take Zadi for a run while you get ready."

"Hmmm, what's all this for?" Kayla asked sleepily, pulling the sheet up over her naked torso as her dog licked her lovingly.

"Because I love you." He kissed her lips then retreated back to the kitchen where the smell of bacon and eggs originated from. Kayla took this opportunity to stare at his ass as he walked away. His loose boxers hid it well, but the sight made her heart flutter just the same. Zawadi launched himself from the bed, following his master. If Kayla learned anything in the past three months, it was that she may have been the dog's owner, but Steve was his master.

Steve returned to the bedroom with a tray holding two plates, one with significantly more food which she knew was his. He sat the tray down across Kayla's lap, holding it still to prepare for the dynamo that was Zawadi.

"Lay down." Steve commanded and the dog obeyed, laying across the couple's legs.

"You spoil me." Kayla kissed Steve, then took a bite of bacon.

"You deserve it." He leaned over and kissed the side of her head before taking a huge bite of eggs. "It's going to be a big day today, with the museum opening at all. It'll be hard being there with you but not being able to be with you."

"Well, I'm sure my father will do his best to keep us apart, so that will help," Kayla grumbled, finishing her small plate of eggs that she sat to the side. "I'm sick of us hiding Steve."

"We won't hide forever Kay. I promise." Steve grabbed the edge of the sheet she had tucked under her arm and pulled it down, allowing him a full view of her breasts.

"Hey!" She laughed as she swatted at him when his hand began to make its way to her naked top, "You've come along way Captain Rogers. Pretty soon you'll be hungry for my bottom half too." She purred, taking his calloused hand and pulling it down to her inner thigh.

"Kayla!" Steve aborted, yanking his hand from her grip as he turned a deep shade of scarlet. "You know I'm not-"

"Ready for that." Kayla finished, yanking the sheet back over her bosom with a huff, "I know Steve. I know."

After that first night that Kayla stayed over, she began to stay most nights, and every night she'd let Steve explore her body, his fingers tracing her curves until he was sure he knew her better than he knew himself. Kayla let him do most of the work, knowing if she dared to know him the way he was learning her, she'd push him way past his breaking point.

So she waited patiently until Steve seemed comfortable enough exploring under the cover of his large t-shirts. Every night they had a routine together: She'd go to his room and lock the door, waiting ten minutes before opening it and letting Steve in to join her. He'd turned a secondary dresser into a vanity for the girl, so she'd take off her makeup and her contacts in his room, and reappear ready for sleep.

One night though, after ten minutes, when Kayla swung open the door she stood there topless in the lamplight. Steve had begun to stutter and lock eyes with her, not allowing himself a glance any lower than her green eyes. Kayla smirked wickedly at him, finally pushing down his nose to lower his sight line, allowing him to take her in fully. When Steve asked her why she simply shrugged and told him it was too hot that night.

It was that same night that Steve agreed with her about the apartment being too hot, and he finally removed his sweatpants to sleep in his boxers. Steve knew that Kayla knew he was lying, just like her, about it being too hot that night. But she let him keep his dignity and didn't point out the real reason for him abandoning his sweats was how constricting they were proving to be for him when she was topless.

And that's how they stayed every night after that, never going any farther. Steve began to notice Kayla had slowed way down in her advances as the nights went on, appearing more than happy to be taking things slow. What he didn't realize though, was that she was just content to have something that would last. There was no point in hurrying if it wasn't going to end soon.

"I'm sorry," Steve muttered, eyes saddening as Kayla pulled up the sheet again.

"Don't be Steve, this is perfect," Kayla assured him, leaning her forehead against his cheek.

Zawadi began to bark loudly and made his way towards the front door. Both Steve and Kayla were rustled from their moment by his behavior, so Steve got out of bed to see what had bothered the dog. When he made it to the edge of the bedroom, he heard a loud pounding on the door. The aggressive pounding turned Zawadi's bark into a deep growl, the dog's fur bristling tensely.

Steve didn't have a chance to reach the door when it was burst open, Secret Servicemen pushing their way inside. Among them was Tiffany who began apologizing profusely.

"Steve! I'm so sorry- I tried to protect you guys, but-but they threatened me with treason for helping disobey a direct order from the President." She stuttered as she was pulled to the side.

"Stand aside Captain Rogers. Where is she?" The President's aid barked, staring down Steve as they heard Kayla yelp from the other room.

"Get away from me!" She screeched as the other men sprinted into the bedroom to see one of the servicemen try to pull the sheets off. "Don't you dare. I think you know what's underneath." She hissed angrily as she stood, still holding the sheet around her.

"Miss Ellis, I'm sure most of the world knows what's under there by now. What the hell were you thinking? Both you and Captain Rogers were given strict orders to stay away from each other. Cuff him." The aid growled, motioning the men in suits to subdue Steve.

"Travis you bastard." Kayla responded, eyes dark as the tall man approached her, "Leave him alone, he's done nothing wrong."

As the men tried to get a hold of Steve, his instincts kicked in and he snapped the handcuff chain and shoved the men out of the way, taking the few steps he needed to get close to Kayla.

"Treason," Travis answered as the men got another hold on Steve, pushing him down to his knees and holding him tighter this time.

"That's enough gentlemen." Sandra Ellis walked into the room, eyes like daggers, "Leave, I need to talk to my daughter alone."

The secret servicemen yanked Steve to his feet and he didn't fight them this time, allowing himself to be walked to his living room. As Travis passed Sandra she snarled, "If you ever come near my daughter in this situation again, I'll have you arrested as well."

Once the door was closed, the First Lady faced her daughter who stood near the window holding a cream bedsheet against her chest. Kayla had a defiant look on her face as her lips bent down into a scowl. Sandra couldn't contain the small sob that came from her lips, which caused her daughter to soften her resolve.

"Is this what we've done to you?" She cried, "Have we turned you into a slut? I always read the tabloids and I assumed they were lies, but I never questioned you if they were true."

Kayla's eyes began to well with tears as she shook her head fiercely, "It's not like that. Not with Steve. I love him, Mom."

Sandra met her daughter's eyes, tear beginning to spill opening out of each of theirs. "How long have you been sleeping with him?"

"I haven't Mom. I mean," She motioned to the bed, "I've been staying here with him for about a month, but we haven't had sex. I haven't done that since before the gala last year."

Her mother considered this, nodded her head slowly before wiping the tears away from her eyes, "He's been a good influence on you?"

Kayla laughed, "He's a much better influence on me than I am on him."

"You know your father won't allow it, Kayla, he sent Travis and the servicemen here."

"But I love him. I love him so much."

Sandra embraced her daughter, which only caused Kayla's tears to flow harder. "Sometimes we have to sacrifice the things we love for our country. I think Captain Rogers understands that better than anyone. Perhaps in time-"

"You are taking me home aren't you?" Kayla interrupted, seeing where this conversation was heading.

"Yes Kayla, I am. Tiffany is coming too though, so you won't be alone. Your father just wants to keep an eye on you."

"Why? Why does he want to keep an eye on me, I've done nothing wrong!" Kayla cried.

"Is this about the serum?" Sandra asked bluntly.

"What?"

"Are you seeing Captain Rogers to learn more about the super soldier serum?"

Kayla's jaw dropped and her eyes widened, suddenly seeing why this was such a big deal. They thought she was studying Steve. They thought she was still working. "No. No, I love him, I've been dating him for three months! I handed over all my work with the serum to SHIELD..."

Sandra's resolve began to harden as she pushed her daughter further, trying to make her consider the options, "Is he with you to make sure you don't recreate it? How do you know being with you isn't an assignment from SHIELD?"

"It's not Mom, it's not!" Kayla began to unravel. Steve wouldn't do that to her. Steve couldn't do that...

"Director Fury was the one who contacted us about you and Captain Rogers. He said he was aware of you two seeing each other and that it had run its course. He recommended we come to get you." Sandra told her daughter.

"No, no I reached out to Steve, this wasn't his idea it was mine..." Doubt clouded Kayla's mind for a brief moment, because in times of great chaos anything is possible, even the worst possible scenario. "He's going to be tried for treason-"

"No, he's not. We've worked out a deal with SHIELD. He'll be just fine. He won't be at the museum opening and he'll be gone on missions a lot, but they won't let him take the fall for this. Now," She grabbed Kayla's bra off the floor, "Get dressed. We are going home."

After changing, the First Lady ushered her daughter out of the bedroom and towards the front door. Steve immediately noticed her tear stained cheeks and the way she couldn't meet his eye.

"Kay-" He took a step towards her, but the servicemen stopped him.

"Goodbye Steve." Kayla choked out, reaching for Zawadi's harness as they walked her to the door.

"No, the dogs too big and aggressive. He's not coming to the White House." Travis snarled, yanking the harness out of Kayla's hand. He looked at Steve, pulling the heavy dog back into the apartment. "Keep him, sell him, take him to the pound. Whatever you want."

With that Travis slammed Steve's front door, leaving Steve alone by his desk in his boxers. He sat on the floor as Zawadi howled at the door, not understanding where Kayla had gone. Finally, the dog trotted over to Steve and began to lick at his face and neck.

Steve didn't try to stop the dog, he simply wept quietly into his chestnut coat.


	14. Chapter 14

"On your left."

Steve ran as fast as he could around the National Mall, trying desperately to sprint his problems away. He'd lost his girl. Again. But unlike Peggy, she was still within reach. He just couldn't have her.

"On your left."

Steve lapped the man again, pushing as hard as he could. He had no one. No one except those he worked with, but could he trust them? It must have been Natasha who told Nick Fury about him and Kayla. Steve didn't trust anyone, especially not the assassin, but he didn't really believe she'd betray him after she said she wouldn't.

"On your left."

The third time Steve lapped the man, he began to regain his composure. Perhaps he should say hello? He could hear the man yelling behind him, most likely confused as to how fast he was running. He needed to talk to someone. Anyone. He couldn't be alone. He had to go home and face Zawadi, who had spent the whole day pouting without his mom around. Steve wished he could explain to the dog he hadn't been abandoned, it was far more complicated than that.

Steve hadn't necessarily wanted an 80-pound lion hunter for a companion, but he didn't have the heart to get rid of Kayla's dog. He couldn't help but feel maybe he'd see her again, maybe he couldn't be with her again...

He slowed to a stop where the man was panting against a tree.

"Need a medic?"

The man laughed and looked up at Steve. The blonde had a weak smile, and Sam Wilson could tell he needed a friend. They talked for a few minutes about being home from war, Steve was happy to hear he wasn't the only one who found his bed too soft. His smile began to grow back, and he couldn't help but feel that something good had come from something bad. Maybe running away his troubles at dawn had brought him a great new friend.

Suddenly his phone started beeping, and he pulled it out to read a text message from Natasha.

 _Mission Alert. Extraction Imminent. Meet at the curb :)_

Steve's smile melted into a scowl as he read the message, and Sam could swear he heard the man growl as a black car pulled up to the curb nearby.

"Listen, take care man. Let me know if you need anything. Stop by the VA anytime." Sam finished, giving the redhead a weak smile and wave as he started to leave.

"Nice to meet you, Sam." Steve turned and nodded, his smile weak but there. As quickly as his scowl left, it returned tenfold, and he stormed over to the car.

"Either of you know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossil." Natasha joked, eyes serious as Steve made his way over to her. She realized Steve was seething, and her face fell as he got in the car and closed the door.

"Go to hell Romanoff." He snarled, staring straight ahead. He couldn't look her in the eyes after what she had done.

"What the hell is this about?" Natasha gasped, throwing the car into drive to get them to the rendezvous point. Whatever Steve's issue with her was would have to wait.

"You told Fury about Kayla and I. Yesterday he sent the secret service to my apartment to collect her. I was informed if I reached out to her again I'd be tried for treason. So thanks a lot, now I'll never see her again." Steve barked at the woman, finally turning to stare at her.

Nat spared a quick glance at Steve, then back to the road, mouth ajar but no words coming out. "I didn't tell Fury about you two." She finally answered. "I haven't said a word to anybody. I told you I wouldn't."

Steve's glare softened a little. He was still upset about what had happened, but Natasha truly seemed hurt by his accusations.

"If you didn't tell Fury, who did?" Steve asked, tone softer than it had been.

"Could be anyone Steve. Fury has eyes everywhere. Have you been spending a lot of time at your apartment?"

"Yes," Steve admitted, staring straight ahead.

 _Of course SHIELD was keeping an eye on him._

"We'll figure something out Cap. It'll all work out." Natasha said, taking her eyes off the road to take in Steve for a moment.

"How do you know? Seems pretty hopeless to me." Steve mumbled, staring out the window as they pulled up to the quinjet's launch site.

"One day at a time Rogers. One day at a time."

"Kayla?" Tiffany pried open the door slowly, sneaking into the room with Maddy in her arm. "Kayla, are you okay?" She placed a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Please just go away," Kayla mumbled, turning her face from the pillow just enough to get the words out clearly.

"I never meant to hurt you... They called me, asking for you and I stalled, but they tracked my cell phone to our apartment. When you weren't there they threatened me. I'm sorry Kayla, I never thought they'd lock you up here."

"Locked in an ivory mansion surrounded by armed guards. I'm a grown ass adult who can't even speak without getting in trouble." Kayla finally sat up and wiped the snot from her nose onto her sleeve. "Yesterday was awful at the museum, I had to lie about where he was and I had to act like I don't even know him."

"It could be worse, at least he's not in trouble." Tiffany rubbed Kayla's back, but Kayla just shook her head.

"No, no he's not, which only makes me wonder if none of it was real... what if it was just a mission? What if _I_ was just a job." Kayla flung herself back into her pillow and Tiffany rolled her eyes.

"You know that's not true. Don't let what your mother and father tell you sway your feelings for that man. You love him and he loves you. Your mom knows that. I can see it. She's just telling you what she thinks she needs to.."

"It's not fair," Kayla yelled, throwing her pillow against the bulletproof window. "I don't want this anymore. I want to go home."

"Kayla, you are home. This is where your parents are, this is where you belong right now. The more you fight the longer you'll be trapped in here!" Tiff hollered back, looking over her shoulder at the door. Maddy began to bark, upset about all the yelling.

"Come here, honey." Kayla cooed as she took Maddy from Tiff's arms. She sat there on the bed silently for a moment, mulling over Tiffany's words.

"Look, I'll be here if you need me. Just let me know what you need, okay?" Tiffany sighed, leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

Kayla sat there for what seemed forever, just staring out the second story window. She wanted to believe what they had was real. What if they were convincing Steve she was just studying him? What if they were doing to him what her mother had done to her?

Her father couldn't even look at her when she was brought back yesterday morning. At the time she assumed he was disappointed, or even ashamed of her. The more she thought about it though, sitting alone in her room, the look on his face was sadness. He wasn't sad that she had disobeyed him, he was sad that he had to take away her happiness.

Since yesterday morning, Kayla Ellis had turned away everyone, even Tiffany. No words could make her understand why this had to happen. But Kayla was about to learn that there were bigger things at play.

A knock came from Kayla's door, she turned to the clock. Eight o'clock. When did they happen?

"Kayla?" Sandra Ellis questioned as she peaked her head through the door. "Kayla, may I come in?"

"Sure!" Kayla choked out, finally getting a hold of her emotions. Trying to at least. Kayla had always been so good at pretending to be someone else. She was always so good at being humble when she needed to, being brilliant when she needed to, and being sexy when she felt like she needed to be. But she'd lost herself. She'd lost the person she was pretending to be.

Maybe she found who she truly was?

"Kayla-" The older blonde woman started as she closed the door behind her. "Kayla I'm so sorry this had to happen. I didn't realize how you felt about him."

"After three years of being the infamous Kayla Ellis, you think I'd start keeping my flings a secret if they didn't matter?" Kayla muttered, turning to face her mom.

"Director Fury contacted your father and said it had to end. Travis spoke to the Director personally, I was with your father when he got the message." Sandra tried to explain, brushing a piece of wispy blonde hair out of her daughter's face.

"But why? It doesn't make any sense!" Kayla argued, but her tone was changing. It didn't make any sense. She had to figure out why it happened.

"Director Fury said that you were being too distracting for Captain Rogers. He said in the message that he needed Captain America to focus more on the task at hand." The First Lady recalled, remembering the memo that was brought to her husband.

"Steve was barely going on any missions, he was training most of the time we were together."

"Darling, I don't know the answers. You should ask your father, he knows more details than I do." Her mother sighed, realizing her daughter needed answers more than comfort, and she'd come prepared to offer the latter.

Kayla stared at the darkening sky out her window, humming quietly to herself. "Perhaps." She mumbled, still staring out the window. She turned to her mother, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Anything Kayla." Her mother answered, no weariness in her voice.

She was ready to stand beside her daughter because when she found her naked, wrapped in Captain America's bedsheets she realized she'd failed. She'd failed to protect her daughter from what society turned her into. She'd failed to acknowledge that her daughter was often making bad decisions. She should have been there to push her towards science, something she was good at. She should have told her when she was being reckless with her heart. And above all, Sandra should have listened to her daughter a year ago in the hospital when she cried out that she wished Captain America hadn't saved her. She wished she had died because then she wouldn't have to live a life of solitude. Just because she was surrounded by people didn't mean Kayla wasn't feeling alone.

"If I sneak out of here to find Steve, will you cover for me with Dad?"

The smallest grin broke across Sandra Ellis's face. "If he means that much to you, I'll sneak you out myself."

Kayla practically tackled her mother into an embrace, stuffing her face into the older woman's neck. "Thank you thank you thank you!" She yelped, starting to grab clothes to put on after the hug ended.

"On one condition."

Kayla stopped in her tracks, turning to face her mother, who simply pointed to the window. Kayla looked in the direction she was pointing, realizing it was dark.

"You have to wait until morning." Sandra finished, rising from the bed. "And eat something for dinner. I'll bring you up some pot roast."

Kayla smiled gently, nodding her head. "Thanks, Mom."

With that, Sandra Ellis left her daughter, leaving the young women to contemplate how to leave a message for Steve.

Author's Note: This chapter is lame and I apologize. Just gotta get some stuff done, nothing interesting really happened. I decided if it's going to be an action-less chapter it might as well be shorter. But hey! At least we met Sam! Please leave reviews, comments, questions, concerns, anything really! Thanks for following and favoriting! Next chapter will be better, I promise 3


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note: Thank you so much to those who have recently followed my story! I've got all of Part 1 finished and I'm working away on Part 2! As long as people are reading and enjoying this story I'll go all the way through Infinity War and Avengers 4 when it comes out! Leave a review and let me know what you like/dislike! 

Steve stormed out of the Triskelion after his talk with Nick Fury. He didn't appreciate being left out of the loop. Fury had told him about Project Insight, and Steve didn't like the idea of terminating people who were potential threats. He couldn't help but feel that he knew a lot of people who fit on that list. It didn't seem right to threaten everyone before they did anything. Steve may have been old-fashioned, but he didn't crash that plane into the ice and live in a frozen purgatory for seventy years just for SHIELD to redefine freedom.

He also didn't appreciate how Nick Fury tore him and Kayla apart, then proceeded to talk about her like she was some sort of monster.

 _"I was finally happy Nick. For the first time since I woke up, I finally felt at peace. Couldn't SHIELD give me that much?"_

 _Director Fury shook his head, "Cap, there is no peace where that girl goes, and you've got enough battles to fight without worrying about who you are sleeping with. It's for the best. Trust me, she's dangerous."_

Steve jumped onto his motorcycle and sped away, seething. He needed to ground himself. He felt like he couldn't trust anything.

Once he parked outside the Air and Space Museum, Steve placed his deep blue baseball cap back on his head, shielding his face. His hat matched his jacket, and he hoped he'd be inconspicuous enough to blend in. He'd been looking forward to seeing the exhibit two days earlier, but he wasn't allowed at the dedication of his own memorial. So Captain America snuck in, disguise and all, to read about himself.

Kayla hadn't been on the team to make the exhibit when she first started dating Steve, but she volunteered at his urging. He had hoped she would be able to bring some truth to it, because if his life had to be on display, Steve at least wanted it to be as true as possible. So Kayla helped them research, having done lots of research on the serum in the past this didn't seem like a stretch for her. However, she'd often fake findings in the history books, telling the professors stories Steve had told her. She was especially diligent about Bucky Barnes because she knew how much Steve's friend meant to him.

Once inside, Steve looked around, reading the glass panels with information about his life in the earlier part of the 20th century. A small boy wearing a Captain America shirt stared at him, mesmerized when he realized he was facing his idol. Steve put a finger to his lips, signaling the boy to keep his secret. The kid just nodded slowly as Steve continued on.

Steve wandered through the exhibit, reading what the scientific minds of the world thought about his life. He could tell which details Kayla added, and which anecdotes came from the history books. At the entrance to the area in big letters read "Welcome Back Cap" quoted by President Mathew Ellis. But Steve didn't feel very welcome.

He snuck into a theater where a video of interviews from his Howling Commandos, and Peggy Carter. Steve smiled weakly as Peggy explained one of the men he had saved became her husband. She'd lived a good life without him, and for that he was thankful.

"You know she's alive? You should go to her. I'm sure she'd want to see you."

Steve turned to face the voice, pulling the cap farther on down his face. He quickly realized the women next to him had a black baseball hat covering her face, long blonde hair pulled through the back in a ponytail.

"Kayla!" He hissed, ducking his head closer to her to get a better look.

"Hey, honey." She responded casually, a smile growing as her baseball hat hit his. She looked around them, but the one other women in the theater with them didn't seem too fazed by the pair.

"How did you get here? How did you know I'd be here?" Steve questioned, looking around as she had, watching as the women got up, leaving them alone in the theater.

"Mom called in a favor. She's ex CIA. She's got contacts inside SHIELD. They saw you leave in plain clothes, and I knew I couldn't go to your apartment. I hoped you'd come to see this." She gestured around, "So I took a chance and told my dad I was coming here to do some more press."

"Kayla..." Steve started, grabbing her hand boldly as he looked around again, "Kayla I can't get you in any more trouble. You need to go home. We can't see each other anymore."

"You don't mean that Steve. I know you don't want that. I _know_ you."

"Kay-"

She shook her head, cutting him off, "I'm not giving up on us that easily. I like who I am when I'm with you." A small group entered the theater and she hid her face again, growing quiet. "I don't want to live this life without you. I feel trapped Steve."

It took Steve everything to shove back the tears that threatened to appear in his blue eyes. He wanted to protect Kayla, to take care of her. He was just getting to know her, and she felt like someone he could trust and he was someone she could rely on. She made him feel needed.

Steve turned back to the screen. He felt like he was betraying Peggy by being in her presence with another woman. But Peggy would never want him to be alone. Steve didn't know whether or not Peggy knew he'd been found, but he guessed she knew. She probably wondered why he hadn't come to see her.

"I need to go to London." Steve stated simply, then turned to Kayla, "I love you Kay. But I need to talk to Peggy."

"I know you do Steve. Go. You have some things to sort out." She smiled grimly. "But when you come back, can I see you again?"

Steve nodded, "Yes. I'll find a way to see you again. I promise." She leaned forward and kissed the soldier on the cheek.

"Fly safe." With that, she stood, pulled the cap farther down her face and turned on her heels, leaving the theater.

While Steve was in London to see Peggy, Kayla was lounging around in the White House, reading a magazine.

The cover?

 _Is Kayla Ellis dating Captain America? Three reasons we think the Avenger is sleeping with the First Daughter._

"He's gonna have a heart attack when he reads this," Kayla mumbled aloud.

"I thought the same thing when I saw it. I don't know him like you do, but he seems like a pretty wholesome guy."

Kayla looked up from her magazine to see her father, the President, standing in front of her with his hands in his suit pockets.

"Yeah, we weren't sleeping together. He's a gentleman."

"Your mother said you were naked when they came for you."

"I wore down his morals a bit."

Mathew Ellis stifled a laugh, "Oh, Kayla... Kayla, Kayla, Kayla. What are we going to do with you?"

"Lock me up clearly." Kayla snorted, turning back to her magazine.

"I'm trying to protect you! The life he lives, it's not safe. What if something happens to him? Doesn't that scare you? Why do you think I begged your mother to quit?" Her father pleaded his case, trying to get Kayla to understand his point of view.

"Isn't that my decision to make though? You married Mom while she was still working for the CIA and you were merely a young aid. Would you do things differently now?" Kayla challenged, eyes peering over the pages covered with photos of her at the opening of the museum as well as photos from the accident last year where Captain America saved her.

"I suppose it is." The President concurred. "You really care that much about this man? You know he's old enough to be _my_ father?"

She laughed, the first true laugh her father had seen in days. "He's old-fashioned but he's amazing. I love him Dad."

"Well, it sounds like you've made up your mind. I'll reach out to SHIELD, have the media team do some brainstorming. It was Director Fury who contacted the Oval Office and requested you to be kept apart. But I'll fix this Muffin. I promise."

Kayla threw the magazine to the side and enveloped her father in a hug, holding back tears. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Don't thank me yet. I've got a lot of strings to pull. It may take some time. Just, give me that time, okay? Please don't go sneaking around meeting him again like you did yesterday. I don't know where you went, but I know you went looking for him. Considering you came home, I'm assuming you found him."

"Maaaayybe." She hummed, grabbing her magazine and heading back to her bedroom. "I'll be good. I promise."

The next few days went by uneventfully, for Kayla at least. She lounged around and talked with her parents, telling them all about her three months with the super soldier. She would get up in the mornings to go running, far too early for Tiffany's liking but the assistant obliged her friend's request. Kayla hoped she'd find Steve running at the National Mall like she had that first time they met again.

By the third day, Kayla had given up on finding Steve running. However, she'd created a routine, so she slept in an extra hour, and went running around nine am instead of seven as she had been the past few days. Kayla came jogging into the pathway, Tiffany in tow already wheezing.

"I hate this." Tiffany groaned, leaning over while Kayla jogged in place.

"Come on! Exercise is good for you! Plus, I need to get in better shape so I can keep up with my super soldier when he comes back." Kayla wiped the light sweat off of her brow, stopping to stretch her calves.

"Super-soldier huh?" A voice came from behind the two girls. Kayla and Tiffany spun to face the man panting nearby.

"What's it to you?" Kayla said, on the defense. She was ready to run if need be, and she was sure as hell ready to kick this man's ass if he had something to say about Steve.

"I just know a super-soldier too. Tall, blonde, good-looking guy. Met him running here. He stopped by the VA yesterday, talking about what he'd do if he ever got out of the military. Although I get the feeling he isn't exactly in the military anymore. Sam Wilson." He extended his hand to Kayla who eyed it suspiciously. He laughed lightly, "It won't bite, I promise. I just overheard your conversation. I figured you must know Steve."

"Kayla Ellis." Kayla shook his hand cautiously, then nodded to her friend. "This is Tiffany."

"A pleasure to meet you, Sam." Tiffany shoved Kayla out of the way, happily shaking the stranger's hand.

"Kayla Ellis? Like, the President's daughter Kayla Ellis? How do you know Captain America? Where's your entourage?" Sam questioned, eyes growing wide.

"I snuck away, I'm not great at following orders." Kayla shrugged, Tiffany shaking her head at her friend. "It's a long story. We met at a ball, he saved my life the next day. We were forbidden to see each other, I was sent to Africa for seven months. I came back, ran into him right here actually. We started a secret affair, SHIELD found out, told my father we couldn't see each other and now we are here. I've been running here every day hoping to see him. You said you saw him yesterday though? So he's in town?" Kayla explained casually, but as she neared the end of her tale, her thoughts were catching up with her. "I hope he wasn't involved in the car chase yesterday. That doesn't seem like him..."

No, I saw him yesterday afternoon, he definitely wasn't around any of that." Sam explained, watching the girls carefully. Kayla seemed lost in thought, but Tiffany seemed very tuned in to what he was saying.

"So you saw him at the VA?" Tiffany prodded gently, "You were at a meeting?"

"Running a meeting actually," Sam answered, winking at the small brunette. She smiled sheepishly and turned to Kayla, who was staring off at the water.

"I just hope he doesn't get wrapped up in all this mess," Kayla mumbled as Tiffany's phone began to ring.

"Hello? Yes, this is she? Why?... Damnit, alright send a car, we're running at the National Mall." Tiffany hung up the cell and circled back to face her best friend and Sam. "Kayla, we have to go, now."

"Why?"

"Because Captain America is a wanted man. They think he has information about the murder of Nick Fury. They think he could come for you."

Kayla smiled wickedly, "I hope he does."


	16. Chapter 16

"Kayla, Kayla we need you to stay here with us until we sort all this out," Sandra explained as the secret servicemen escorted Kayla into the Triskelion to meet her parents.

"I couldn't possibly be in a safer place." Kayla droned sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she fell into step with her parents.

"I assure you, Miss Ellis, there is nowhere safer than SHIELD headquarters. Captain Rogers wouldn't dream of coming back here and we have our best team after him and Agent Romanoff." Jasper Sitwell told her as he led the First Family to meet with the World Council.

"STRIKE team? Rumlow?" Kayla asked blandly, meeting Sitwell's eye."What? It's what people in relationships do. They talk about their day."

"You know too much." He muttered, looking straight ahead. "Don't worry, we'll take care of him. One way or another. We'll get him."

"Sitwell, we've got a hit on Rogers and Romanoff," Rumlow informed as him and his team made their way towards the garage.

"Good, bring them back alive." Sitwell turned to the First Family, "See, we are playing nice. We just need Captain Rogers to cooperate and everything will be fine."

"Mmhhhmm" Kayla agreed, head held high as she followed the direction of the secret service towards the elevators.

"We can't take everyone. Wait in the lobby while we get this all sorted out." Sitwell explained. Two secret servicemen, Travis the aid, and the President and his family followed the agent into an elevator. They started to skyrocket upward, giving them a great view of the city.

"It really is beautiful," Kayla noted, mind far, far away.

"Kayla's gonna kill you when she finds out we kissed," Steve told Natasha as he drove their stolen pickup to Wheaton New Jersey.

"It was that or get shot, so I think she'll forgive you. Is she that possessive?" Nat grilled.

"No, I mean, I don't think so. We haven't really been around other people." He mumbled, eyes on the road.

"But you love her." Natasha's words were a statement, not a question, but Steve felt the need to nod in agreement anyway.

"When this is all over and we are back in the clear, do you think you two will work out?" Natasha asked earnestly.

"I'd like to think so," Steve stated honestly, stealing a glance at Natasha, "She's not like anyone I've ever met."

"The life we live is a hard one Steve. Are you sure she's going to be able to keep up? Or are you ready to hang up the shield to become her beau?"

"For as long as I can remember, I wanted to help people. I've never really thought about what happens to me in the end. I guess I never really pictured settling down." Steve admitted.

"Does she know that?" Natasha pressured, trying to make her comrade understand.

"I guess if we make it out of this alive we'll have to have a talk. But for now, less talking, more driving." Steve finished, giving Romanoff a stare that told her not to press it any further.

"Mr. President, it's a pleasure to meet you again!" Alexander Pierce greeted as the Ellis's made their way into the top floor of the Triskelion.

"Thank you for having us, Secretary Pierce. We are worried about the situation currently going on at SHIELD. Between the death of Director Fury and Captain Rogers becoming a fugitive, we are trying to figure out the next steps to take in securing this nation's security. It is very clear that SHIELD does not have the control we were told it did by Director Fury. I'd like to discuss some other options." President Ellis explained.

"I completely agree President Ellis. That is why we are launching Project Insight the day after tomorrow. I'm sure you remember our meetings about it last month?" Pierce questioned, motioning to a nearby desk for the President to sit.

"Of course. Director Fury believed it would be incredibly helpful in increasing the security of the United States." The President responded, and the two men sat to discuss details of the upcoming launch, while Kayla wandered over to the large picture windows, followed by her mother.

"I hope they don't hurt him, Mom." Kayla murmured simply, gazing out over the view.

"I hope so too honey. I hope so too."

After meeting with the World Security Council, the Ellis family was being driven back to the White House in their private car. They didn't speak, they simply rode in silence until Travis spoke up to the family.

"Once back at the White House, we will remain there until Captain America has been captured or eliminated."

Kayla's eyes grew wide and she looked to her parents, her mother trying to say something to comfort her, but her father took over the situation.

"That's enough Travis. Secretary Pierce will keep us informed in the search for Captain Rogers. Once he's found he'll have the chance to explain himself." He looked between his daughter and his aid. "In the meantime, this family will not discuss it."

"Mathew, I think you and I should discuss some things when we arrive home," Sandra stated quietly to her husband. He looked to her, and she raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"As you wish darling." He answered, kissing her knuckles.

Once parked, Kayla stormed into their home, slamming the door to her bedroom. Tiffany came trotting behind her, Maddy in her arms. Sandra and Mathew retreated to the Oval Office to discuss Project Insight and their daughter's involvement with a fugitive. Secret servicemen and Travis tried to follow them in, but Sandra stopped in the doorway and turned to them.

"This is a private conversation between my husband and I. Stand outside. Don't listen, or there will be consequences." She threatened.

Once the door was closed, she turned to her husband, "Mathew, this doesn't sound right. Somethings wrong. Project Insight is meant to eliminate threats, but it sounds like SHIELD is the one making the calls on who is a threat."

"SHIELD is the leading expert on security and international affairs involving spy work. If anyone knows threats it's them." Mathew defended, taking a seat at his desk.

Sandra shook her head, "How blind have we become? Have you forgotten when New York City was attacked by aliens? Would Project Insight have helped then? It seems to me that the World Council has been puppeting this family for the past year. They sought out our own daughter to create an antidote for the super soldier serum and suddenly Captain America is on the run from them. How do you know Kayla isn't on that list for Project Insight? How do you know you and I aren't?"

"We have to trust somebody Sandy, we can't live our lives in fear!"

"We should have trusted our daughter Matt! We keep trying to lock her away to keep her safe and she keeps falling into more and more trouble!"

Suddenly there was a scream and gunshots from the second floor, followed by the sound of breaking glass.

President Ellis and the First Lady were surrounded by secret servicemen with guns within moments. Sandra took off running, agents matching her pace as her husband followed. When she reached her daughter's bedroom door, they saw Travis hovering over Tiffany's body. He was gasping for air as he shakily looked up to his boss.

"He came for her. Captain America kidnapped your daughter."

"Call a medic NOW." Sandra Ellis ordered, but there was already one on their way into the room. "Put pressure on this wound. She's still breathing, the bullet just barely missed her lung."

"She's not dead?" Travis asked, "Thank goodness. We'll rush her to the hospital immediately, I'll take her myself."

"No, I'm taking her. It's about damn time this family took care of itself." Sandra growled, turning from the aid to her husband. Her patience was gone, and she was done being just the President's Wife. Her daughter was kidnapped from the White House, and her assistant was shot within one of the most secure buildings in the entire world. Sandra didn't spend fifteen years with the CIA only to ignore a serious problem when she saw one.

"There's protocol to follow ma'am, you have to stay here-" Travis began, but Sandra shot him a deadly glance.

"There was protocol to keep my daughter safe too, but where is she now?"

"Sandy, I-" The President started as his wife applied pressure to Tiffany's wound while the med team prepared her for transport.

"Find Kayla." Sandra Ellis hissed as the gurney raised and Tiffany was carried out of Kayla's bedroom.

"Mrs. Ellis, I must insist you stay here. What if whoever came for Kayla comes for you too?" Travis tried again, standing in front of the woman.

"Isn't that what secret service if for? How the hell did Captain America break into this house, shoot someone, steal a grown person, and you are the only one around to see it?" Sandra shoved past the lanky man, following Tiffany.

"Sandra..." President Ellis warned, grabbing her by the arm.

"No Mathew, this has gone on long enough. Find whoever took our daughter. If the President and his infinite resources can't find her, then I'll figure it out myself."

"Travis already told you, it was Captain Rogers, he was was here when it happened-"

From outside, another gunshot was heard, causing Sandra's eyes to widen in fear.

"For once I'm going to trust Kayla's judgment over the judgment of your team. Prove me wrong." She glared at the aid, who was typing feverishly on his cell phone. "If Steve took Kayla I can't help but feel she's safer with him than us."

Author's Note: Did Steve really come for Kayla? If it wasn't him, who was it? Travis: Evil or Loyal? Not everything is what it seems. Leave a comment in the reviews who you think it is! I'll post Chapter 17 once I get ten reviews! 3


	17. Chapter 17

a Kayla slammed the door to her bedroom, Tiffany right on her heels. She slid down the back side of the door, exhaling as she did so.

"It's getting late. We should have heard something by now." Kayla worried as she looked up at her best friend from her place on the floor.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but, what if Steve really is the bad guy? What if Director Fury found out about the two of you dating and Steve killed him for revenge? What if we are all a part of some big plan."

"If we are, it's not Steve's plan." Kayla dismissed her friend's theory easily. She heard shuffling of feet outside her door. Kayla put her finger to her lips to signal Tiffany to be quiet as she leaned against the door listening.

"Those doors are soundproof," Tiffany whispered, placing Maddy in her kennel by the bed.

"I know, which means those are some heavy footsteps. They must be boots, not secret service issued." Kayla shared a look with her best friend. "Tiff they are gonna kill us."

"Who's they?" Tiffany yelped, causing Kayla to shush her again.

"I don't know, but it's quiet out there. We need to get out of here. They've either walked away or stopped outside the door. Either way..." She trailed off, locking the bedroom door quietly.

"That's the only way out Kay." Tiffany whimpered, staring at the door as Kayla moved from it to kneel beside her bed. "What are you doing?"

Kayla pulled out a large leather case, yanking it up onto the bed, "Grab me that water bottle?" She requested, pointing to a stainless steel water bottle next to her bed that she often took running.

"What is that?" Tiffany handed the bottle over to Kayla, trying to peak into the case, but Kayla slammed it closed quickly.

"The less you know the better. Here." She shoved the case at the small women. "Take this somewhere safe. They aren't after you, they are after me. Take it somewhere I can meet you."

"I don't know anybody Kayla, everyone we spend time with is the inner circle." Tiffany hissed as they heard the sound of the boots outside the door again, causing both of them to freeze in their tracks.

"We don't have time," Kayla mumbled, looking towards her closet. "There's a secret way out through there, a way to get upstairs for extra storage, you can hide there until this is all over."

"I'm not fucking leaving you," Tiffany growled, placing a hand on her best friend's arm. "We are in this together."

"I really wish you weren't such a good friend," Kayla answered, squeezing the hand Tiffany held to her arm.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Kayla's head tilted to the side inquisitively as she took one brave step towards the door. "Who is it?"

"Kayla, it's me!" Steve's voice came from outside the door. Kayla gasped happily, and Tiffany set the briefcase on the back side of the bed, knowing for a moment they wouldn't have to flee.

"Steve!" Kayla cried out happily as she threw open the door, but when she saw the man on the other side, her face fell. "Steve?"

Steve Rogers rushed into the room, closing the door quietly behind him. "I'm here to get you out, Kayla! I was able to escape the explosion in New Jersey and it's not safe for you here. Please," He extended a hand, "Come with me."

Kayla stared at Steve's hand, eyes hard. Her eyes roamed from that hand up his chest, his neck, and eventually landed on Steve's face. Tiffany didn't understand why her friend wasn't jumping into his arms. It was her Steve, in the flesh before her. The man she so desperately cried for in the lonely nights, he was two feet from her promising to whisk her away and yet there she stood, back ridged, staring at him like a snake.

"No." She answered faintly, looking Steve in the eyes. "No, I will not come with you."

He looked taken aback by her words, but not hurt. "No? But Kayla I- I came to rescue you. To take you away from here."

"Kayla, you said it yourself, it's not safe here." Tiffany urged, trying to get a grip on the situation.

"Please, Kayla, come with me." He reached out and grabbed her hand, and her face fell to his grip, which was entirely too tight for Steve's gentle hands.

"Tiffany, run."

"What?" Tiffany questioned as she circled the pair, but Steve's eyes followed her, not Kayla, causing the brunette even more alarm.

"This isn't Steve. I know Steve Rogers better than I know myself. This isn't him. Your hands are too rough, and your stance is all wrong, and you are too short. Plus, my Steve would have called me Kay."

Tiffany bolted for the door, but Travis opened the door before she could reach it and blocked her off, backing her back into the room. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Miss Jones. There are only two ways out of this room, with us or in a body bag.

"Travis, you bastard. I should have known you had something to do with this!" Kayla hissed, pulling away from the imposter who had an impossible grip on her arm.

"Captain Rogers got too curious and you got too close to Captain Rogers." Travis explained simply, walking Tiffany farther and farther into the room until she was stood back behind the bed by the briefcase, which she diligently guarded without alerting anyone to its presence.

"Director Fury never told you to tear us apart." Kayla deduced, staring up at 'Steve' angrily.

"My sources tell me Nick Fury knew about you two and decided not to say anything. Nick Fury was a good man like that, but he was standing in the way of the plan."

"What plan? Who's plan?" Kayla spat, Steve pulling her closer to Travis to face him.

"Hydra's." Travis answered simply, sharing a devious smile with the man who held Kayla.

"Hydra? Like World War II Hydra?" Kayla muttered, going over it in her head.

"You've been a part of Hydra's plan for years Miss Ellis. For as long as you've been studying the super soldier serum. We've been trying to come up with ways to have to recreate it for Hydra. When your precious Captain America was thawed from the ice, we knew we'd have to get rid of him too. So we tricked you into creating the antidote. Because if it was strong enough to take down the original Captain America, it could take down anyone. We orchestrated the last year of your life Miss Ellis. We are the ones who kidnapped you, who held you ransom."

"But why?" Kayla snarled, arm beginning to hurt from the pressure of the man's gloved grip.

"Because the Avengers were strong enough to destroy Hydra. And we had to tear them apart. It worked perfectly, don't you think? Malick took the fall on purpose to allow Pierce to rise to power and trick Nick Fury into separating the Avengers. It was all going great until you started getting close to Captain Rogers. We allowed it for a while, but the problem is, Miss Ellis, is that you are very important to Hydra. And we can't risk Captain America keeping you away from us."

Kayla turned to Tiffany, whose eyes were beginning to well up with tears. She shook her head sadly, knowing they wouldn't both make it out of here alive.

"Tiffany..." Kayla warned, seeing her friend was coming up with a distraction. Maddy began to bark shrilly from her cage, causing the tension in the room to grow even thicker.

The brunette bolted from behind Kayla, Travis tried to grab her, but she was too fast, she flung the door open and Steve shot her from behind.

A scream left Kayla's lips, echoing through the White House.

"Take her now!" Travis demanded, but the man was too distracted and his grip loosened. Kayla grabbed the briefcase and took off running, but the moment she went back for the case was the moment the man scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder. Travis gave him directions as he placed a large piece of duct tape over Kayla's mouth to stop the screams, and then the man carried the blonde away from the sound of running feet, heading towards the commotion.

Tiffany's death caused a welcome distraction for Kayla's kidnapper, who swiftly met up with the rest of his team downstairs, dressed as secret service.

"We've got a car waiting." One answered, Kayla didn't recognize any of the men around her and knew they must all be Hydra impersonating the regular team.

Once outside, the fake servicemen went outside to make sure they were in the clear, and Kayla took her chance at escape. She swung the heavy briefcase against Steve's head, and he dropped her as he fought to regain his balance. Kayla began to run, but she heard a gun cock behind her and turned to see Steve pull a screen off his face, revealing a dark-haired man with a scruffy face and chiseled jawline. Kayla darted into the night, but not before Rumlow took a shot at her, causing even more chaos within the President's mansion.

Kayla ran faster than she ever had before, carrying the briefcase to her chest to not disturb its contents any more than she already had. She had to find somewhere safe, but where was safe? The President's staff had been corrupted, SHIELD agents were working for a dead organization, and her best friend was dead on the floor of her bedroom. Fake Steve had mentioned surviving an explosion in New Jersey. He'd assumed she'd known about it, but she hadn't.

A thought suddenly crossed her mind and she stopped running, falling to her knees behind some bushes as she began to sob. Explosion? Survived? What if Steve hadn't survived, what if they killed him. They assumed she'd known he was there, so he must have been. He must have been wherever they spoke about and what if he was actually dead? What if Kayla Dawn Ellis, the girl who has everything, had truly lost it all.

She couldn't go home to her parents. Even if they weren't Hydra, they didn't know who to trust, Travis was basically telling her father what to do. She couldn't call or text them, her phone would be tracked. Her phone would be tracked...

Kayla quickly stood and ran some more, then threw her cell phone into a nearby pond, taking off to run in a different direction to where she was going. She had nowhere to go. Dawn was approaching Washingon D.C. and she was on the run from people who were trying to kidnap her for God knows what. She had to run.

She had to run.

She stopped in her tracks catching her breath for a moment before looking around, getting her bearings. Then she began to run again, still clutching the briefcase to her chest as if it was the very thing giving her life.

Just because Captain America was a fugitive didn't mean life wouldn't go on. It didn't sit right with Sam Wilson, but there was nothing he could do to help the soldier. So Sam Wilson did what he did every morning at dawn: he went running.

Halfway through his usual run though, he heard a hiss from the trees halfway around the water. He turned and walked towards the sound, looking around cautiously as he did. When he peeked around the tree, he saw Kayla Ellis, much worse for wear than she was yesterday.

"Miss Ellis?" He questioned, but she held her finger up to her lips to tell him to be quiet.

"Please, I don't know where to go. They are after me. You said you knew Steve. Can you help me? I think he may be dead."

Sam contemplated her words, and what it would mean to help the girl. It could possibly land him in prison, or worse.

"Come with me, I live a few blocks from here." He nodded towards the walking path and the girl nodded weakly, following him with her head down.

Once inside Sam Wilson's apartment, Kayla broke down sobbing.

"Hey, I said I'd help you hide, you never said there'd be crying!" Sam jumped at her sudden wails as the reality of the past twenty-four hours hit her like a freight train.

"They-they came to kidnap me, disguised as Steve- and- and they shot Tiffany, and now she's dead because of me!" Kayla sobbed, Sam watching her in disbelief as she continued her tale. "An-And the guys said something about surviving an explosion, a-and I think that means Steve is dead! My fath-er's aid is Hydra, an-and I don't know who to trust. I-I don't know why they wanted me."

Sam hande the blonde woman a tissue, and she blew viciously into it before wiping the leftover snot onto her arm.

"Let's-let's get you cleaned up. You shower first, I'll make something for you to eat. I'll show you where to go." As Sam led Kayla towards his dingy bathroom, Kayla looked at the photos on his dresser. She smiled at him overseas with his buddies, laughing despite the danger they were in.

"Here." Sam handed her a hoodie. "I don't have any women's clothes, but at least you'll have a clean top."

"Nobody ever leaves anything?" Kayla quipped and Sam scoffed at her.

"Women take me home, not the other way around. I prefer to be the one who leaves in the morning."

"A man after my own heart. Tiffany would have loved you."

Kayla and Sam shared a glance, confirming Kayla's suspicions. He was used to losing people he cared about. But she wasn't. She fought back tears as she went into the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the cold water wash away her troubles, even if just for a moment.

Kayla didn't hear the knock on Sam's door, and she didn't know that Sam wearily answered it, afraid someone had come for the President's daughter. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Steve Rogers holding up Natasha Romanoff at his front door.

"I'm sorry about this, we need a place to lay low," Steve explained and Natasha added.

"Everyone we know is trying to kill us."

"Join the club." Natasha and Steve exchanged a confused glance at Sam's words as he opened to door for them. "Luckily not everyone is trying to kill you."

Once inside, Sam gave them the same tour he had with Kayla, except when he reached the bathroom he pointed his thumb at the door stating, "You all are in some serious shit aren't you?"

The water turned off, and the three turned to the bathroom door as it opened to reveal Kayla Ellis wearing Sam's hoodie with no pants. Her jaw quivered when she saw Natasha and Steve, scared that her eyes were deceiving her.

"Steve?" She gasped, taking a step towards her.

"Kay!" He wrapped his arms around her and held her gently against his chest, kissing her hair softly as she cried into his chest.

"I'm gonna shower, give you two some time alone," Natasha stated as she walked past the pair into the steamy bathroom.

"Let me know if you guys need anything." Sam offered, heading back out into his kitchen.

"What are you doing here?" Steve asked, pulling away just enough to see her face.

"They came for me. Travis is Hydra, Hydra is still a thing, and they fucking killed Tiffany right in front of me." She began to sob again, and Steve held her face against him.

"Kayla, I'm sorry. I should have been there to protect you." He told her, guilt seeping into his demeanor.

"No, no you have to stop this. It has to be you. Hydra has been using me to keep the Avengers apart. We need to call them in!"

"It's not that simple Kay," Steve started, pulling her gently to sit on Sam's bed. "We can't let Hydra know we are alive. We have to do this quietly."

"But they are in the White House Steve! They are with my _family!_ The worst part is the man who came for me looked like you. They think you kidnapped me..."

"He looked like me?"

"There is SHIELD technology that allows the digital projection to create a new face. It's super advanced technology. Whoever did this is someone with high clearance." Natasha interjected from the doorway, toweling off her red hair.

"I'll never forget his face. Dark hair, dark eyes, strong brow. He tried to shoot me. He had your Stealth suit and everything." Kayla growled, hatred glowing in her green eyes.

"Could be Rumlow." Steve offered to Natasha who shrugged. "Probably is, that son of a bitch wouldn't think twice about doing something to hurt me. Nothing personal."

"I'll kill him for what he's done. My best friend is dead, and it's all my fault." Kayla mumbled, but there were no more tears to cry.

Natasha looked between the pair sadly and sat on the side of the bed next to Steve. Kayla felt a shift in the room as the assassin and the soldier shared a glance.

"I'm going to go check on Sam. Why don't you get cleaned up?" She offered to Steve, standing and awkwardly pointing to the bathroom door.

"Uh, yeah, I should. I'll be quick." Steve hoisted himself off the hard mattress and made his way to the bathroom, turning to Kayla before he closed the door. "I know you've already showered, but..."

Kayla shook her head, response surprising Steve. "No. No thank you. Maybe some other time." She left the bedroom and closed the door.

Natasha threw a disappointed glance at her partner, "Really Steve? Now?"

"I-" He paused, contemplating his actions, "It just slipped out honestly. I thought she wouldn't want to be alone."

"She's never lost anyone, Steve. She's going to feel alone no matter what you do. Now go shower, okay?" Natasha ordered, staring at Sam's wall, deep in thought. Steve obeyed, closing the door and turning on the water, feeling guilty for not knowing how to talk to his girlfriend.


	18. Chapter 18

"So what do I do?"

Steve, Sam, and Natasha turned to face Kayla. The blonde had been standing near the table while the three came up with a plan to get to Agent Sitwell using Sam's flying machine. But none of those plans had involved Kayla.

She looked between the three expectantly, before adding, "You guys don't think I'm just going to sit here by myself while you go figure out the algorithm. Hydra has been puppeting me and my family and you think I'm just going to sit back and hope it all works out?"

Steve sighed when the other two looked to him for an answer, "Kay-"

"Don't Kay me Steve! Let me help! I can do... something? I can drive?" She offered weakly, quickly realizing that she didn't have as much to offer. She wasn't a soldier, a spy, or an ex-Air Force officer. She was popular and had connections, which didn't really help at the moment because they were trying to stay under the radar.

"First things first, we have to get into Fort Meade, then we'll go from there." Natasha settled. "Can you occupy yourself that long and then we can come up with something for you to do?"

Kayla huffed, but obliged, "Fine. I have some work to do anyway."

"Work?" Steve asked casually, watching his girlfriend pick up the briefcase.

"Yes." She answered simply, then started the stove top. "Work."

The trio didn't question the blonde further, and she offered no more explanation. They had more important things to do than cook.

After successfully breaking into Fort Meade and stealing the Falcon wings, Steve and Natasha returned home with Sam to prepare for the mission of gathering Sitwell. While Steve and Natasha spoke in private, Kayla watched them. Sam didn't dare say anything the blonde bombshell, but he could swear her eyes were turning more green.

"Steve will never care about me the same way he cares about her." She finally stated, turning away from the solder and Nat to face Sam. "She's resourceful and powerful. She's sexy in a way that I can't compete with because I can't _do_ anything. I'm the woman he comes home to, and she's the woman he fights with and if I've learned anything from the past few months it's that Steve Rogers just can't help but find himself in a fight."

"Miss Ellis, you know it's not like that. She flirts with everyone, it's her job. Cap has made it abundantly clear to her and myself that you are his girl."

"Than why won't he let me help?"

"Miss Ellis-"

"My name is Kayla." She snapped, then lowered her head as if to apologize for her outburst. "Please call me Kayla, Sam."

"He thinks your fragile. You aren't a soldier, you are the President's Daughter and he knows if anything happens to you it's on his head. And more importantly on his conscious." Sam finished, grabbing his bag that holds his equipment.

"Sam?" Kayla asked softly, watching the man load up his bag.

"Yes, Kayla?" Sam answered, looking at her over his shoulder.

"Do you have room in there to carry something for me?"

Sam spun to see Kayla holding out a box. Just a brown box, about a foot and a half long and eight inches wide.

Sam raised his eyebrow suspiciously, "What's in the box?"

"Don't worry about it."

"I'm not gonna carry it unless I know what it is."

"There's a note inside. If anything happens to Steve, open it. Promise?"

Sam considered her request, then took the box, shaking it gently, but nothing rattled inside. "This better not blow me up."

"It's not explodable." Kayla laughed. Her smile weakened as she turned to Steve and Natasha, the pair walking out back into the living room. "Just, keep him safe okay?"

"I'll do my best. But I can't control Captain America."

"Really?" Kayla feigned surprised, "I was able to make him do almost anything."

"Ready to go?" Steve asked Sam, then turned to Kayla before getting his answer. Sam tucked the box away into his pack, hiding it from prying eyes.

"Kayla," Steve was in full Captain America mode, even in blue t-shirt and jacket. There was no softness in his voice like there usually was, and Kayla couldn't help but find herself turned on by this side of him.

"Yes Steve." She gulped, trying hard to keep her rosy cheeks from betraying her. The lust she felt for the man standing before her grew as he took a step closer, eyes still never softening.

"I need you to stay here. This is dangerous and I don't want you to get hurt." He ordered, grabbing his shield off the table but never taking his eyes off of the blonde.

Her lip quivered, she wanted him now, but there wasn't time, which only made her desire grow stronger. "Stay with me." She pleaded hopelessly, knowing the words meant nothing but to tell him how desperate she was for him.

Steve sighed, not letting her emotions sway his. They had a job to do. It was bigger than him and her, and she was safe here. He shoved back every instinct to kiss his woman, knowing in his head he had to go.

"You know I can't do that, Kayla people's lives are in danger, your life is in danger. Can you just listen for once?" He asked her, meaning to hurt her in a feeble attempt to get her to stay.

Kayla saw through his act though, but she appreciated the effort. She turned to Sam and Natasha, "Give us two minutes. Please. Wait in the car, he'll be there shortly."

Sam shrugged, and Natasha lingered for a moment, waiting for Steve to argue. When he didn't, she answered, "Two minutes. Hurry up."

Once alone, Kayla turned back to Steve, eyes pleading sincerely for once. "Steve..."

"We don't have time for this Kay. I have to go-" He started to walk towards the door, but she grabbed his arm and he allowed her to stop him.

"Just, before you go, tell me what we are? Because three months hiding in the shadows and then a near-death experience can make a girl doubt her relationship. Especially when you are running off with someone else."

Steve's jaw dropped, but he quickly recovered, "Natasha? Kayla really? You know I wouldn't-"

"I know Steve Rogers wouldn't, but the man before me isn't Steve Rogers. He's Captain America. I know you aren't running off to be with Natasha, I just need to know, are you going to come back to me? When the dust settles will you still be my boyfriend or will you run off to fight another fight? Because what's happening now isn't going to end at five o'clock. It'll never end. Where do I fit in?" Kayla pleaded for answers, looking desperately at the clock as her time was running out. "Do you love me Steve?"

Captain America softened at her words, his resolve visibly falling. "You know I do."

"Then promise me that when this is all sorted out we'll be together. For real this time, not in secret. Promise me that you'll be my one and only. Don't let them take me again."

"I promise," Steve responded before pulling the girl to his lips. She kissed him desperately because she knew it would be the last kiss for a while. He finally pulled away, leaving her standing in Sam Wilson's kitchen as he strode out of the apartment.

After forcing information out of Jasper Sitwell, Sam drove the group to the Triskelion. The plan was to use him to get to the council, using his biometrics to bypass the security. Unfortunately, the Winter Soldier had other ideas.

A metal arm broke through the glass of the read driver's window and grabbed Sitwell, throwing him into oncoming traffic. Shots rang through the small car and Natasha climbed onto Steve's lap and straddled him, arming her gun.

"This kind of shit is why your girlfriend has trust issues!" Sam exclaimed as he slammed on the breaks, causing the Winter Soldier to fly forward off of the car.

Meanwhile, back at Sam's apartment, Kayla sat on the couch eating cereal. The news was reporting the incident at the White House the night before, claiming that Captain America had kidnapped the First Daughter. "Yeah yeah yeah." She mumbled in between huge bites.

"Breaking news, there seems to be a scuffle on the highway near Virginia Avenue. A man has been thrown from the upper level of the overpass into a bus below, causing an accident that has flipped over the bus. Cell phone photos show the man appears to be Steve Rogers, better known as Captain America. This just in, witnesses claim a man with a metal arm is now shooting a machine gun towards the bus, all civilians are ordered to stay clear of the area."

Kayla stared at the screen, taking in the blurry photo of the man carrying the gun. It reminded her of the photo Gideon Malick had shown her when he commissioned her to make the super soldier serum antidote. The Winter Soldier had arrived.

"Damn it!" She screeched as she leaped towards the door, leaving the tv on and the door swinging open.

Kayla ran the six blocks to get to Virginia Avenue, hearing gunshots as she neared the sight. She was stupid in love but not stupid enough to run into a gunfight. She watched as Steve ran towards the Winter Soldier who had his gun aimed at Natasha. She was shaking next to a car, holding her shoulder in pain. Kayla searched for Sam, helpless to save Steve from taking the brunt of the Winter Soldier's attacks.

She dared sneak closer, hiding behind the pillars of the bank she hid near as everyone else ran past her, trying to get away from the terrifying man.

Photos didn't do the Winter Soldier justice. A mask covered his mouth but she could see his dark eyes beneath his wild black hair. The mechanical arm had a red star on it, telling tales of his time in Russia. The arm smashed down on Steve vibranium shield and Kayla could practically hear the vibrations. The shield was supposed to be vibration absorbent but the arm had strength behind it. A super soldier.

The Winter Solder wrestles Steve's shield away from him and through it at his face, narrowly missing and slamming into a van behind Steve. No one could handle that shield as well as Steve.

In hand to hand combat, Steve stood a better chance, able to get in a few decent hits before the Winter Soldier grabbed him by the neck and started choking him.

 _Should I distract him? Give Steve the upper hand? Steve would kill me._

Kayla grew anxious as the fight continued, the Soldier trying to stab Steve in the face before he deflected the man and got his shield back.

 _Oh, not the face! Anywhere but the face... Okay not anywhere but-_

"Kayla!" A man's voice yelled from the overpass and she finally saw Sam staring down at her angrily as he prepared to take flight.

The name distracted Steve for just a moment, but before he could see where his girl was he saw the metal elbow ramming towards his face. He swung his shield around and bashed the metal violently, then flipped the Soldier over his shoulder by the face, causing the mask to fly off.

The Soldier stood again quickly and stared at Steve. Kayla gasped, hand flying to cover her mouth. She'd seen enough photos and watched enough news clips to recognize the man.

Steve straighten and stared at the man, mind not able to catch up to what his eyes saw.

"Bucky?"

"Who the hell is Bucky?"

Falcon flew in from the overpass knocking over the Winter Soldier, then when he stood up Natasha fired a rocket launcher at a pickup nearby.

Kayla took this moment to run to Natasha, helping to press the fabric of her jacket against her bullet wound.

"We need to get her help, now!"

"I thought we told you to stay home Kayla." Natasha hissed but didn't reject the help.

"I'm really bad at following directions?" The two women looked towards Steve, who stood in a trance staring where his friend once stood.

STRIKE vehicles bombarded the area, and the team, led by Rumlow stormed the group. They pushed Sam up against a car and Rumlow kicked Steve behind the knees to get him on the ground.

"Steve!" Kayla shrieked as another agent pointed a gun at her love's head. Natasha couldn't stop her from running towards the men, and crouching beside Steve and holding his neck in her arms. Steve's eyes stayed glued on the ground, too shocked to even fight. But Kayla looked up at the man holding the gun, eyes ablaze. When her gaze fell on Rumlow though, she lost it.

"You." She growled, standing from beside Steve. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU."

As she leaped towards the man, another set of arms grabbed her and started dragging her away. She kicked and screamed as Travis pulled her into a Presidential car, and Steve didn't even look up when she wailed his name.


	19. Chapter 19

_"Kayla?"_

Kayla started to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt heavy.

" _Kayla honey, what happened?"_

She could hear her mother's worried voice, and could almost open her lids enough to see her...

 _"We found her like this Mrs. Ellis. I think they drugged her."_

Drugged? Who drugged her?

 _"Don't worry ma'am, we have Captain Rogers and his companions in custody. They will never harm your daughter again."_

Steve? What? No! Steve didn't drug her!

 _"We'll take her to a secure facility where she'll be safe. I'll make sure the very best doctors try to figure out what's wrong."_

 _"She seems comatose..."_

 _"Yes Mr. President, I wonder if the Captain has been drugging her the whole time. He won't bother your family again. We won't take any chances."_

 _"How do you plan to stop him?"_

Kayla moaned slightly at her mom's voice, eyes finally opening enough for her to see who surrounded her.

"We'll use the formula she created to destroy Captain America. It's the only way to ensure her safety and make sure Project Insight launches as planned." Alexander Pierce explained.

Kayla's eyes widened, and she tried to open her mouth but no words came out.

"Kayla!" Her mother sobbed against her in the hospital bed.

"Kayla, they are going to take care of you. I promise." Her father murmured quietly, holding her hand.

 _Just like Steve promised me he wouldn't let them take me again._

The memories started to flush back as the doctor's wheels Kayla away. The fight. Bucky Barnes. Hydra. The man who killed Tiffany. Travis. Being shoved into a black car.

Being forced to drink a clear liquid in the back of the car.

Screaming and crying.

Everything starting to get fuzzy.

The screams stopped.

They forced her to drink more.

Everything went black.

Here she was. But they were moving her again, taking her away from her parents. Where was she? What had they done to her?

"Where am I?" She whispered hoarsely, and Alexander Pierce appeared next to the doctors who were loading up syringes with the same color liquid she'd drank before.

"You are in the Triskelion Miss Ellis, and you are going to help me destroy the Winter Soldier."

"I-can't," Kayla whispered again, her throat felt like needles were stabbing at its soft interior.

"You have to. We can't clear Steve's name if we don't destroy the Winter Soldier. You need to create the antidote to the super soldier serum, load it into a vile and have it ready to go by tomorrow. He will try to stop the Insight Hellicarriers from taking off. We have to defeat him." Pierce explained kindly, patting her hand as the nurse presses the needle into her arm.

"But...Steve..." Kayla hissed, words feeling foreign on her lips.

"If you are good and help us, nothing will happen to Captain Rogers. Are you ready to comply?"

A pained gasp escaped Kayla's mouth as the liquid began to saturate her bloodstream. She tried to hard to think of a good quip or someplace she could smack him that would hurt, but her muscles didn't want to move and her mind couldn't sort her thoughts as fast as it should have.

"Yes, sir."

Meanwhile, Maria Hill led Steve, Natasha, and Sam through SHIELD'S underground facility. They had met with Nick Fury and formulated a plan, but Steve needed some air. So Hill directed the men towards a staircase leading to the top of the abandoned power plant and then took Natasha to receive further medical attention.

"You know he's gonna be there right?" Sam asked Steve cautiously.

"Yeah, I know."

"You know you might not be able to save him, Cap."

"I gotta try."

"Did you even hear her when they took her away."

Steve took his thoughtful eyes on the horizon, coming back to the present. "What?"

"Did you even hear Kayla screaming when they took her away. She threw herself between a machine gun and you and you couldn't even look at her as she screamed your name." Sam explained, seeing his friend was completely unaware of the gravity of the situation.

"Hydra took her Steve. Who knows what will happen to her now."

Steve turned on Sam, his eyes steely and a scowl plastered on his face, "If she had listened and stayed at your apartment like we asked her to this would have never happened."

"I'm just saying if it comes down to saving her or him, It's pretty obvious who is going to let you. He doesn't know you."

"He will. Gear up. It's time." Steve walked away from Sam, but Sam's words haunted him.

The woman he loved had been captured again, and he couldn't bring himself to stop thinking about Bucky. Four months ago it would have made sense because no one in this world had cared for Steve the way Bucky had.

But things had changed in those four months. Four quiet months of easy stealth missions and training days and coming home to a beautiful woman who loved him. How had he forgotten it all so quickly? The moment the fight got serious it's like Kayla and his somewhat sleepy existence fell to the wayside. But Kayla didn't understand that. She didn't understand that there were bigger things at play, more pressing matters than her.

But that revelation hurt Steve Rogers more than any battle wound. He couldn't put her first. He didn't know how. Because when he was needed, he had to go, even when she begged him to stay. And what had it cost her? He wasn't the one locked up right now. She was.

"You gonna wear that?" Sam's voice asked from behind him.

"No, if you're gonna fight a war you've got to wear a uniform."

"How are you coming?" Pierce asked Kayla as she worked in the Triskelion's lab. She was very slow because of the drugs, but they were fading fast. She knew though, if she began to show signs of normalcy, they'd most likely drug her again. So she continued on in her comatose state, regaining awareness of what was happening around her.

 _Hydra is making me work on the anti- serum in the Triskelion's lab. The formula is on paper, they must have deleted any files on it so no one else could create it. They don't intend on letting me go if I can make it..._

"There," Kayla answered dully, swishing the blue liquid around in its vile. "It's finished. One dose. It's not- easy to make." She stumbled, eyes drooping with pretend sleepiness.

"One dose is all we need Miss Ellis. You've done your country a great service. We'll only use it if we absolutely have to." Pierce assured the girl, who nodded her head slowly in understanding. "Would you like a change of clothes? Your father will be arriving soon for the launch of Project Insight along with the World Security Council."

"Dad?" Kayla questioned quietly, squinting her brows in confusion. What was her father doing here?

Pierce walked her out of the lab towards the communications room. Kayla stares up at the large screens showing launch codes for Project Insight.

"Agent 13!" Pierce called to a blonde woman standing nearby reading a screen. She looked up, curls bobbing as she did. Her expression held confusion and surprise at the woman before her. "Agent 13 could you please escort Miss Ellis to the women's locker room and find her something suitable to wear. She's been in this since yesterday."

"Yes, Sir." The woman answered, motioning for Kayla to follow. Kayla couldn't match her pace though, so she slowed down and once out of the room, the agent turned to Kayla.

"Miss Ellis, what happened to you?" Agent 13 asked quietly, pausing briefly to look over the President's daughter.

Kayla contemplated her answer, not knowing who she could trust. She stared at the other blonde for a moment, then recognition sparked in her muggy brain.

"You are Steve's neighbor." She answered slowly, carefully taking in the agent, "You work for SHIELD."

"Yes. I was assigned to protect Captain Rogers. I'm the one who reported your relationship back to Director Fury."

Kayla nodded her head slowly, chewing over this information. "Makes sense. It was your job." She looked at the woman facing her, eyes clearing slightly. "Is it still your job to protect him?"

Agent 13 thought about her current situation, then decided to tell the truth. "No, we are supposed to be hunting him down."

"Pierce says Steve drugged me, but I'm pretty sure that's not true. I'm pretty sure it was them." Kayla stuttered as they reached the locker room and Agent 13 got her a spare SHIELD uniform.

"Pierce?"

"Yeah, I think they want me to turn against Steve. But I won't. I love him."

Agent 13 smiled weakly, the other girl slurring her words. She didn't know what she was talking about. Captain Rogers must have really done a number on her.

"Go ahead and change, I'll wait out here then escort you to the lobby to meet your father."

"Thanks, Kate," Kayla mumbled, remembering the girl's name.

"It's actually Sharon." The agent confided, then closed the door to the locker room to get the woozy girl some privacy.

Once the door was closed though, Kayla went to the handicap stall and locked the door. She ran the sink and drank as much water as she could, trying to flush the drugs from her system. She looked at her cracked smartwatch, she'd been in the bathroom for six minutes, Sharon would check on her soon. She changed out of her old skirt and blouse, putting on the dark grey pants that SHIELD operatives wore. Once changed, she looked in the mirror, finally seeing clearly. She pulled her hair back into a low messy bun, making it imperfect on purpose to show she still wasn't completely coherent.

Once she found her appearance satisfactory, she emerged from the bathroom slowly, eyes dropping as she met Sharon. The blonde smiled weakly before adding, "Sorry I took so long. Sick stomach. They are trying to flush the drugs out of my system. Still feeling...eh?" She tried, successfully convincing Sharon the effects were still strong.

"What did they use?" Sharon asked quietly, feeling terrible for the girl. How had Steve Rogers done this to her?

"Not sure. And I'm a chemist." Kayla laughed before taking a deep cough. "Thank you for helping me, Sharon."

"You are welcome Miss Ellis. I'm sorry about what happened with Captain Rogers."

They reached the lobby and Kayla turned to Sharon, eyes clear and wide, "Don't be sorry. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger right?" Then she visibly slumped and made her way towards Pierce, her father, and the World Council, leaving Sharon Carter to wonder why the girl was pretending to be drugged.

"Kayla honey! Are you feeling any better?" President Ellis greeted as he pulled his daughter into a hug. She nodded but didn't speak, a weak smile on her face.

The Ellises made their way to Alexander Pierce and the Council. Kayla took extra caution to appear extra dazed, but she doubted they would try to drug her again with her father there.

"The facility is biometrically controlled, these will give you unrestricted access," Pierce explained. When he gave one to Kayla's father, the President shook his head.

"No need, my biometrics are already in the system."

"Of course Mr. President. Shall I give one to Miss Ellis."

"She'll be fine with me." Mathew Ellis stated simply, looking to his daughter. "In fact if possible I'd like to send her home for some rest. She says she's feeling better."

"I don't think we've gotten the clear from the doctors yet to let her go. She may need more medicine." Pierce informed her father.

Kayla took this moment to speak up quietly, "I'm feeling much better Dad, I'd like to stay with you and watch the launch. Make sure the Captain doesn't come for me."

"Very well, she'll join us." President Ellis smiled, giving his daughter a squeeze from the side. She smiled slightly, eyes fluttering just a bit.

She made eye contact with Councilwoman Hawley, but the older woman's face was unreadable. Something along the lines of worry and anger. Kayla knew the Councilwoman was curious about her state.

"Captain America drugged me. So they are taking care of me here." She slurred casually as the group began to walk to the elevators.

"Is that so? Well hopefully SHIELD can learn to control their agents better in the future. The Council will not stand for this type of scandal." The councilwoman tisked she shook her head disapprovingly at Pierce.

"Do not worry. We have plans in place for Captain Rogers should he interfere." Pierce explained as a lab technician handed him a briefcase.

Kayla's face blanched as she realized that through the fog and the confusion and the lies she had actually created the antidote to the super soldier serum. The perfect collection of degenerative poisons and stabilizing agents to make a fast but easy demise for whoever is unlucky enough to face it. If anything happens to him, it would be on her hands.

"Shall we begin?" Pierce questioned, motioning to the elevator doors and the began to ascend the Triskelion to see the launch of Project Insight.


	20. Chapter 20

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who followed and favorited this story! This is the climax of Part 1 of From Erskine to Ellis, but the story is far from over! I'll post this and Chapter 21 before taking a little break to get ahead of Part 2! Please leave me reviews, if you like this story or any issues you find with it! I _love_ writing this story, but I'm not sure if I want to continue writing all the way through Infinity War without any feedback! Please leave me a message, just to tell me your thoughts! Once I get a few reviews I'll start writing Part 2 if anyone is interested! Thank you all for your continued support in reading! Enjoy!

Pierce raised a toast to the Council's accomplishment of preparing Project Insight when suddenly a familiar voice came over the intercom of the building.

"Attention all SHIELD agents. This is Steve Rogers..."

 _It's him._

Kayla looked up at the speakers hopefully, mind zoning in clearly on what Steve was saying as her father grabbed her arm.

"...They almost have what they want: absolute control. They shot Nick Fury, kidnapped Kayla Ellis, and it won't end there. If you launch those Helicarriers today Hydra will be able to kill anyone who stands in their way..."

Kayla turned to her father, who in turn stared angrily at Pierce, as did the rest of the Council.

"...it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not." The intercom went quiet, and the room stood silent for a moment, process what they had just learned.

"You smug son of a bitch." One of the Councilmen exclaimed.

"Hydra broke into the White House the other night, not Captain Rogers." President Ellis stated quietly.

"Arrest him!" Councilman Singh ordered.

"When Travis found her with them, they weren't the ones who drugged her, Hydra was." Mathew Ellis continued to state, taking a step towards Alexander Pierce.

"Now Mr. President, I can explain-" Pierce started as Hydra agents filed into the room, guns pointed at the Council members.

"Hydra has been manipulating and using my daughter and you convinced me it was for the greater good?" He spat, inches from Pierce. He finally realized that one of the STRIKE members was holding a rifle to his back.

"I believe I've got the floor." Pierce finished, walking away from the President.

"Dad, don't." Kayla urged as Brock Rumlow walked into the room. Her eyes turned to daggers when she saw him. " _You._ " she snarled, shifting her weight uncomfortably. "You killed Tiffany, you tried to kidnap me."

"Yeah, it helps when the President's aid is Hydra." Rumlow spat, retrieving the case Pierce brought up from downstairs.

 _Oh God no, no no no this isn't happening._

"Don't you dare! You're gonna kill him!" She screamed at the dark haired man as her father held her back, but Rumlow just scoffed as he walked past her.

"That's kind of the point sweetheart." He turned to Pierce, "We've already begun the launch sequence. Cap's speech stirred a bit of a revolt downstairs, but we've got them taking off now."

"Take care of Captain America. Make sure he doesn't interfere again." Pierce ordered, taking a swig of his champagne.

"No!" Kayla wailed as Rumlow left the room, loading the vile as he went. Kayla tried feverishly to get out of her father's grasp, completely aware of her surroundings. She had to get to Steve.

Once the door closed, Secretary Pierce turned to face his guests. "Now where were we? Let me ask you a question," He turned to Singh, "If you knew your daughters were going to be executed, and you could stop it with the flip of a switch, wouldn't you? Wouldn't any of you? Look at you President, you'd do anything to protect your daughter wouldn't you?"

"You are right Secretary, I would. The only problem is that you've been hurting her all along, and I can't let you be the one in charge of the switch." Mathew Ellis said easily, holding back his weeping daughter.

A Hydra agent handed Pierce a gun, which the Secretary aimed easily at Ellis. "You are making a big mistake."

Suddenly, Councilwoman Hawley kicked Ellis's leg, causing him to fall out of the way and take Kayla with him. She disarmed Pierce with a punch to the face, taking the gun before electrocuting one guard and chucking the gun at another. She swiftly threw one guard to the floor, then bashed the head of the second guard against the table, easily knocking him out. Then she stood, gun in hand, pointed at Pierce.

She then pulled a thin film off her face while saying, "I'm sorry. Did I step on your moment?"

"Natasha!" Kayla cried out, standing quickly to stand beside the redhead as she pulled off the wig.

"Kayla, are you okay? How are you feeling?" Natasha questioned, never taking her eyes or her aim off of Pierce.

"I'm fine Nat." Kayla assured, "They drugged me after the fight at the highway, I don't remember a lot, but I'm fine." The President stood, holding onto his daughter tightly. Kayla started to make her way to the door, but her father didn't loosen his grip on her arm. They both were alerting to shooting coming from one of the helicarriers outside.

"Kayla, where do you think you're going? I'm not letting you out of my sight." Ellis hissed, looking between the assassin and her hostage.

"Dad, I have to stop him. If they shoot Steve we'll never be able to stop the algorithm from killing millions." Kayla pleaded, pulling again, but his grip stayed tight.

"You are my daughter-"

"You are the President!"

"But my duty belongs to my family first. I have to protect you and your mother first." Mathew Ellis explained darkly, eyes shifting shamefully as the Councilmen watched him.

"If I don't save Steve, we're all gonna die anyway. You. Mom. Even me, you know I'm on that list. I have to go Dad. It's my choice and my duty. Not just to my country, but to my heart."

The President looked to Natasha for help, but the redhead offered nothing but a sympathetic smile. She knew Kayla was right.

"Please, please come back to us Kayla." He requested, hugging her tightly before letting her go.

"I love you, Daddy." Kayla murmured, then swiftly grabbed the gun off of one of the subdued STRIKE agents.

"You know how to use that thing?" Natasha asked as Kayla reached the door.

"Not a clue, but I'll figure it out," Kayla answered as the elevator door closed.

"Two down, one to go." Maria Hill stated into her com as Falcon took out the second hellicarrier.

"Hey Sam, I'm gonna need a ride!" Steve yelled as he ran off the side of the first hellicarrier, jumping through the air.

Sam managed to catch him but wasn't able to carry him far, so the pair ended up crashing into one of the floors of the Triskelion.

"You know, you are a lot heavier than you look." Sam jested breathlessly, stretching his arm.

"I had a big breakfast," Steve answered, but from behind Sam, he saw Rumlow appear from the doorway.

Over the radio, the three men heard, "Sir, the Council's been breached. Black Widow is up there."

"Give me a minute," Brock barked into his radio, "I've got to deal with the super soldier."

The three stood off, but finally, Steve took a step forward and Rumlow matched it.

"It doesn't have to be this way. We worked together. We fought together." Steve urged, putting up his hands to show no harm.

"See that's the problem with you Cap, you are all honor and camaraderie, but at the end of the day, I'm gonna follow whoever is going to give me the better deal. And that's Hydra."

"Cap we got 10 minutes, get out of there!" Hill ordered, shooting two agents who were coming onto her in the controlled room.

"You know you can't win against me in a fair fight." Steve threatened, taking another few steps to Rumlow, they were about fifteen feet away now.

"Who said anything about a fair fight?" Rumlow asked as he withdrew the dart gun, unaware of the dark grey blur approaching him from the side. Kayla saw Rumlow feet away, aiming the gun at Steve. He was about to die, he'd age rapidly, he'd crumple to dust, she had to do something-

"No!" Kayla cried out as she grabbed at Rumlow's arm, just as he pulled the trigger.

But the damage was done.

Rumlow held onto the gun as Kayla held onto his hand, shaking violently. He glared daggers at her and shook his head in disgust, "That wasn't meant for you."

Kayla nodded slowly with a smile as Steve reached them, "I know." Suddenly Rumlow was being pummeled into the ground, every bone in his body being crushed by the sheer power of Captain America.

"Cap!" Sam cried as he cradled Kayla, causing Steve to stop his blind rage and turn to the blonde.

She was shaking and gasping for air, and to Steve's horror, she appeared to be shrinking. Steve took her from Sam and held her gingerly in his strong arms, looking her over fearfully. He pulled out the empty vile out of her chest and threw it, shattering the glass violently.

"What was-"

"The Antidote. It was the antidote. For you." She murmured quickly, mouth ajar in pain as her muscles began to deteriorate. Steve realized what was happening to her and panic took over him, trying to think of a solution to a problem that was meant for him. Kayla realized she couldn't move her arms or her legs, and her chest was moving too slow. "Damn this works quick. It degenerates muscle mass, which is ahhh very painful." She winced, struggling to keep her head up as she deteriorated.

"We'll get you help, I'll call Banner, he'll know what to do!" Steve stuttered, looking around frantically.

"Eight minutes Steve!" Hill yelled in his ear.

"Cap..." Sam started, looking towards the third hellicarrier.

"I'm not going to leave her here!" Steve screamed at his friend, Kayla gasping as her cheeks began to sallow.

"You have to." She croaked, looking up at him with sleepy eyes, "If you don't, everyone is going to die. I would have died anyway if you fail."

"Kay no..." He cried softly, laying her down to the ground, but even he had to accept she was dying. "I love you. I love you so much please don't-"

"I love you too Steve-" Her head slumped to the side, and Steve knew she was gone. He let out a quiet sob over what was left of her crumpled body, barely more than skin and bones. But his back stiffened and his gaze fell on the hellicarrier.

"Sam."

"I've got you Cap." Steve ran full speed towards the broken window, and Sam grabbed his arm and hoisted him up towards the third hellicarrier.

When they reached the hellicarrier though, Bucky was waiting for them. Bucky grabbed a hold of Sam and in the fight he ripped off Falcon's wing with his metal arm, discarding Sam over the side of the hellicarrier and back towards the Triskelion. Sam managed to fly just enough to crash land back into the building, but the damage was done.

"Cap? Cap come in, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm still on the hellicarrier. What's your twenty?"

"I'm grounded Cap. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, I've got it," Steve responded, pushing his loss to the side in order to save the world.

While Steve fought Bucky on the bridge of the last hellicarrier, Sam stripped himself of his wings and tried to get his bearings. He looked out the window he had crashed into and found the window on the floor above was broken, meaning he was right below Rumlow and Kayla. Falcon climbed the stairs quickly, reaching the open door and quietly going in. He had nowhere he needed to be. It was up to Captain America now. He just wanted to retrieve Kayla's body so her family could bury her.

When he reached the body, he kneeled next to her, shaking his head in despair. He contemplated the best way to move her, the thought of carrying her making him nauseous. He could always put her in his bag as awful as it sounds?

His bag.

The box.

Sam figured it was just as good a time as any to peak into the box she'd given him. She'd told him it was in case anything happened to Steve. She said there was a note inside. Was it meant for Steve's eyes only? But if it was only if something happened to Steve, he wasn't meant to see it...

Sam sat beside the blonde's grotesque figure, opening the brown box gingerly, unsure of its contents.

"A water bottle?" He questioned as he pulled out a stainless steel water bottle. Upon lifting it he realized it was full of liquid. His scrunched eyebrows lifted the letter to read her explanation.

 _If you are reading this, it means the worst has happened and someone has tried to kill Steve. The antidote for the super soldier serum would kill a regular human being, but there's a good chance it won't kill Steve. Since Steve is over ninety years old, he won't survive long after the serum is depleted, so use this quickly. Its never been tested and I have no idea if it'll work, but just in case, please try to save him._

 _Kayla Dawn Ellis._

Realization dawned on Sam, but it was too late. She was dead. He opened the stainless steel bottle and saw sky blue liquid swishing inside.

Should he drink it?

Suddenly, from across the room, Brock Rumlow began to stir.

There wasn't time to take her. What if he gave her the liquid? Nothing could be worse than death, and that's where the girl was now.

Sam quickly poured the contents of the liquid into her mouth, enough to cause her to drown if there was any life in her. But there wasn't. But he couldn't take the serum with him. He couldn't risk someone getting it. It would die with its creator.

"I'm not gonna let you get to the Council," Sam stated bravely, rising from his crouched spot. He discarded the empty bottle carelessly after making sure there was not a drop left.

"Beaten by the world's first Avenger, and still able to stand." Rumblow gloated, but Sam could tell the man wasn't going to be able to move beyond that point. His legs cracked from under him but he sneered still, "You really think you can beat me?"

Sam saw the hellicarrier coming in fast from behind Rumlow and started to run backward quickly. Rumlow didn't stand a chance as the ship flew through the window and crushed him in the rubble.

"Please tell me you've got that chopper in the air!" Sam yelled into his earpiece, his only mission now to get out alive.

As he flew out the window and into the open door of the black helicopter flown by Nick Fury, Natasha caught him and pulled him back in.

"Forty-first floor! Forty-first!" He yelled at them, noticing the President buckled in next to Natasha.

"It's not like they paint the numbers on the outside of the building!" Nick Fury responded from the pilot's seat.

"Hill, where's Steve? You got a location on Rogers?" Natasha yelled into her headset.

"Have you seen Kayla? Have you seen my daughter?" The President inquired helplessly, looking desperately at Nat.

"Mr. President." Sam started solemnly, but Mathew Ellis didn't need to hear the words. The answer was clear on Sam's sorrowful face.

"She's gone." He stated weakly, openly sobbing as Natasha and Fury spared a glance at the Falcon.

"She- she took the anti-serum. She tried to wrestle the gun away from Rumlow and he shot her with it." Sam explained, tears threatening his own eyes, "She told Steve to take out the hellicarriers to save everybody."

The President nodded thoughtfully as the last hellicarrier crashed into the Potomac, leaving nothing but rubble and fire in its wake. At that moment, the four knew Steve was most likely dead too, so Ellised sighed, "She wouldn't have wanted it any other way. She loved him too much to live without him."


	21. Chapter 21

Author's Note: Well, this wraps up Part 1! Now the question is, do you guys want a Part 2? I've got some plans, and if anyone is interested I'll get to writing right away! Leave me a review letting me know if you want me to continue this story! Thank you to everyone who's followed and favorited, I'm glad you like reading it!

Sandra Ellis sat next to the hospital bed, a weak smile on her face as she watched the news. Her eyes were bloodshot, she hadn't left that spot in two days. She rubbed her face wearily as the doctor walked into.

"The surgery went well, you are recovering slowly, but you are very lucky to have survived at all. We'll keep you here for a week or so, just to make sure you are healing properly, but then you should be good to go. You are very lucky Miss, to have such friends in high places." The doctor motioned to Sandra with skeptical eyes.

The little brunette smiled as best she could, tubes finally removed from her mouth. "Thank you, Mrs. Ellis. You know you don't need to stay with me." She whispered, eyes moving towards the tv above her bed. The news helicopters showed footage of the hellicarriers destroying each other and taking the Triskelion into the Potomac.

"Shhh, of course, I need to be here Tiffany. Somebody has to watch out for you after everything that's happened. Your mother would have never forgiven me for leaving you here alone."

"I miss her," Tiffany muttered sadly, eyes trained on the television.

"Me too Tiff. Me too."

"Do you think they are okay?" Tiffany asked, slowly turning her head to meet the First Lady's gaze. She had informed Sandra everything she knew about Hydra as soon as she was conscious and able to speak. Hours later the hellicarriers started shooting at each other and now SHIELD was nothing but debris in a river.

"I don't know," Sandra admitted, tears welling in her eyes.

Nick Fury landed the helicopter on the roof of the hospital, but he had no intention of staying long.

"I'd appreciate if you keep the knowledge of me being alive between you and me. There's a still a lot of bad guys out there and I'll be able to take them out easier if I'm a ghost." Fury requested as Sam helped the President out of the helicopter.

"Your secret is safe with me Nick. Thank you, for saving my life."

"I'm sorry for your loss Mr. President. Good luck telling the missus." Nick nodded as he lifted the helicopter up and flew away before any of the medics could realize who's rogue helicopter had landed.

"President Ellis!" Some doctors called out, alerting others of his presence as he walked inside the building escorted by Sam Wilson. Before they even made it to the elevators the secret servicemen were at his side, trying to push Sam away.

"It's alright boys, he's with me. Please take me to my wife."

Sandra looked towards the window, seeing the guard salute as the door was opened and her husband filed in with Sam.

"Matt!" Sandra cried out as she leaped from her chair beside the girl. She hugged him desperately, then looked around, noticing only Sam. "Matt...Matt where is she? Where is Kayla?"

Matt hung his head, shaking his head woefully. He couldn't say the words. He couldn't tell his wife.

She gasped and a silent sob wretched through her body as she fell back into her husband's arms. "No no no. It can't be true! It can't be true! How could this happen?"

Tiffany began to cry, and Sam went to her side, taking her hand gently. "I'm sorry Miss. She-she was struck with the anti-serum. It was meant for Steve."

Sandra turned to Sam, eye's wide. "What did you say?"

"Kayla was trying to save Steve so he could stop the hellicarriers from activating Project Insight. There were twenty million targets, including yourself and your family. She died so he could save everyone." Sam explained quietly, trying to show the weeping mother her daughter's sacrifice was more than lust for the soldier.

"Where is Captain Rogers now?" Sandra asked voice somewhere between anger and devastation. She wanted Steve to face the consequences of her daughter's death, even if he wasn't directly to blame.

"He went down with the hellicarrier ma'am. We weren't able to find him when the ship went down." Sam answered, voice breaking.

"Sandy, she knew she had to go. There's nothing any of them could have done." Mathew explained, holding his wife as she nodded vigorously.

"I know, I know but that doesn't make it any easier." She sobbed, falling to her knees as the secret servicemen blocked the hospital room window, trying to keep the paparazzi away who tried to get photos of the weeping first family.

Hours later there was a commotion outside the hospital room, doctors running past Tiffany's room. Sam and Mathew had left. Mathew had to deal with the White House media team and fire Travis's ass. Sam left to help the search teams looking for survivors in the wreckage. Sandra stayed by Tiffany's bedside as she had promised the brunette's mother years ago. Taking care of her friend's daughter helped her deal with the grief of losing her own. Tiffany was in a daze, unbelieving that all of this chaos had lead to the death of her best friend, while she narrowly escaped with her life.

"We need a doctor here now!" One of the nurses called as a man was brought in on a stretcher.

"Captain America!"

"It's Captain Rogers!"

Sandra and Tiffany could hear the babbling nurses outside the door as the medic team rushed Steve past towards the emergency room. Sandra rose from her chair to peak outside the door. The secret serviceman stationed outside her door turned to her, knowing her question. "It's Captain Rogers Mrs. President. They found him on the bank of the river. Multiple gunshot and stab wounds."

"Thank you, Roberts. Keep me posted if you hear anything else."

"Of course Madam."

Steve Rogers awoke to Trouble Man playing next to his hospital bed. Sam read a book while keeping watching watch over the injured Captain. "On your left." Steve muttered, causing Sam to turn to him and smile.

"How ya doing champ?" Sam asked as he set down his book to get a better look at his friend.

"Sore. Everything hurts." Steve answered, eyes working to open fully.

"The doctors think you'll be able to go home in a day or two. You are healing fast."

"It's a symptom of the serum." The blonde man mumbled, moving his head to look at Sam. "Did anyone find her body?"

"Cap, there wasn't a whole lot left to find." Sam grabbed his friend's shoulder comfortingly before continuing, "I went back to try to bring it, but then the carrier crashed into the building. I'm really sorry man."

"You did everything you could. And we stopped Hydra."

"Steve, there's something you should know-"

"Captain Rogers, you have a visitor who would like to speak to you. Alone." The guard informed, eyes moving from Steve to Sam.

"I'm gonna get some food, want anything Cap?" Sam asked as he rose from his seat, leaving his book on the table and music playing.

"No, I'm not hungry," Steve answered, fighting back tears as he was finally able to accept what the cost of freedom had been. When he gave that speech to the SHIELD agents, he was referring to his own life, not his girlfriend's.

A secret serviceman walked in, scanned the room before nodding out the door, signaling the First Lady to enter. Once she was seated beside Steve the guard left and closed the door.

"Mrs. Ellis, I can't apologize enough. I take full responsibility for what happened to your daughter, and I'm willing to accept any punishment you see fit. Captain America couldn't save the most important person in his life, and I don't think I can continue carrying the shield knowing what I've caused."

"Shush Steve." Sandra chastised the injured soldier, shaking her head, "I know my- I _knew_ my daughter. She did what she wanted, with who she wanted, and despite our attempts, she was terrible at following directions. I know that there's nothing you could have done to stop her from saving you because she _loved_ you. She loved you so much and we should have let you two be together." Tears filled the woman's eyes and Steve reached out for her hand to comfort her.

"Ma'am, I loved your daughter," Steve responded tearfully, letting go of the Frist Lady's hand to wipe his tears away. "I wish there was something I could do."

"Avenge my daughter Steve." Sandra said sternly as she stood, sniffling back her tears. Her eyes were a cold grey as she met Steve's blue, "She died for you and for your cause because she thought you were worth it."

"What did you just say?" Steve's mind flashed back to 1945, hearing Peggy say the same thing after Bucky fell off the train.

"Get your team, Captain Rogers. My daughter believed in people, not organizations. She believed in you, not SHIELD. The President doesn't need the FBI, CIA, SHIELD or anyone else to destroy Hydra. We need the Avengers Steve. Avenge Kayla. She died so you could save the world. It's not safe quite yet." Sandra Ellis walked out of the hospital room, looking over her shoulder as she did to add, "It would have been an honor to have you date Kayla. You are the best thing being the President's Daughter ever brought her."

Sandra Ellis walked out, and Steven Rogers wouldn't see her again.

Steve was released on the day before Kayla's funeral, but he couldn't go. He couldn't face an empty tombstone again. He'd met Fury along with Sam and Natasha to say goodbye at Nick's grave. Nat had brought him information on Bucky, and Sam had agreed to help him track down his old friend. But before they began their search, he had to reunite the team.

So Steve went home and turned to pack up his things. Stark had offered him a floor all to himself in Avenger's Tower until he found a place, and he was moving back to New York permanently.

When he opened the old brown door to the apartment, Zawadi charged him, almost knocking him to the floor with his force. The large chestnut dog licked the large man's face and Steve allowed it, after all the poor dog had been locked up alone for days. He found the dog had made a mess of his bathroom rug and had ripped a hole in his own dog food. Steve was just thankful Zawadi was okay, because he couldn't bear to lose someone else he cared about.

Bucky had disappeared.

Kayla had died.

He wanted to cling to what he had left of her. He found one of the t-shirts she'd claimed as her own and smelled it. Her perfume lingered on the green shirt and it brought tears to Steve's eyes. Zawadi bumped the television remote and it buzzed to life, the channel on the news. Steve wanted to rush to turn it off, needing to pack and leave quickly, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw Kayla's funeral playing.

President Ellis stood at a podium, microphone waiting as news crews filmed the proceedings. His eyes were red, and Sandra couldn't speak. She stood off to the side with Tiffany, who looked worse for wear but wanted to be at the funeral.

Seeing Tiffany made Steve feel guilty for not going, but he had somewhere he needed to be. He needed to go home to New York. To be with the Avengers, his family. Clint was bringing the quinjet to pick him up in an hour. As he packed what few belongings mattered to him, he heard his girlfriend's father speaking from the television.

"Today is a devastating day, as my wife and I bury our only daughter. Kayla Dawn Ellis was a lot of things: she was brilliant, strong, beautiful, and brave. She died to save the man she loved, Captain Steven Rogers. She died to save his life, so he could save all of ours. My daughter believed in heroes. The idea that a good person could overcome a bad institution, even when everyone said they were wrong. She trusted her gut, and I only wish we had trusted her judgment enough to follow her lead. Because we were too focused on what we were told was right, we allowed a rogue organization to threatened the lives of millions. And it cost us our daughter. So please, listen to your kids. Trust their judgment. Nobody will keep you honest like your family. Hold them tight, I only wish I had." President Ellis stepped down from the podium and Steve smashed the remote control into the tv. Zawadi scampered until Steve's table whimpering, scared of the noise.

"I'm sorry Zadi." Steve mumbled as he grabbed his duffle bag. He was leaving almost everything except his clothes. He didn't want to be reminded of this home. He wanted to start over fresh.

With a click of his tongue, Steve summoned the dog and left the apartment, closing the door for the last time. He walked several blocks to the open park where he often walked Zadi while Kayla was away. He looked at his phone expectantly, then felt a whoosh from the air as the quinjet landed.

"Stay." Steve ordered Zawadi when he started to back away, and Steve scratched the dog behind the ears to comfort him from the noise.

One landed, Clint opened the back door to allow Steve entry. He walked over and greeted his Captain with a hug, "Steve. I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Thanks Clint," The two looked to the dog expectantly, "This is Zawadi. He was Kayla's dog."

"Hey buddy!" Clint exclaimed as he kneeled down to play with the dog. Zawadi responded by trying to chew on his hair, causing the archer to laugh.

"We should get going, we have a lot of work to do." Steve stated as he set down his duffle back in the jet, "Come Zadi." The dog trotted away from Clint to Steve, laying down as the soldier's feet.

"You know you can take some time off, after everything that's happened." Clint prodded, worried about his friend. It had only been five days since the fall of SHIELD, and Steve was trying to ignore what he lost. Not only did he lose the woman he loved, but he also lost the life he knew. His trust in the system had been shattered. All he could trust was himself, and the team he led.

"The sooner we wipe away Hydra, the better," Steve muttered as Clint closed the quinjet and took off towards Manhattan.

A mysterious figure in a hoodie watched the plane take off. Once out of sight, they found their way back toward Steve's apartment. Outside was his Harley, with the keys in the ignition and a note that said 'For Free'. They turned the key and revved the engine, taking off quickly towards the highway that would lead them to New York City.


	22. Chapter 22

Author's Note: Here's Part 2 of From Erskine to Ellis! Thank you to **juury** for requesting more! Please follow, favorite, and of course review! 

Clint landed the quinjet on the pad of Avengers Tower in New York. The pair made their way into the building, Zawadi running ahead. Once they reached the door they heard yelling from just inside.

"What the hell is this? Clint! What is this creature in my tower?" Tony hollered. As Steve and Clint walked through the glass doors they stumbled up Zawadi jumping onto Tony. The large chestnut dog had it's paws up on Tony's shoulders as the billionaire tried to swat the dog away.

"Zawadi, come here," Steve commanded and the dog obeyed quickly, running back to her master. Once he reached Steve, Zawadi fell in line with the soldier, panting next to his leg when he finally stopped.

"This monster is _yours?_ " Tony sneered, waltzing over to Steve with a scowl on his face. What on Earth would give Steve the idea he could bring a _dog_ into Avengers Tower. Their high rise home wasn't a place for animals, especially one as big and intrusive as Zawadi.

"He was Kayla's." Steve corrected and Stark softened, shutting his mouth before he could quip back. He couldn't kick out his Captain's dead girlfriend's dog, as much as he didn't want the creature in his home. Steve could sense the man's apprehension so he quickly added, "Don't worry Tony, it's only temporary, I'll be finding my own place soon."

"You can stay as long as you want Cap. Avengers Tower is your home as long as you want to be here. It's good to have you back."

Neither Steve or Tony was great at showing their feelings, but Steve understood that Tony was giving his condolences. Steve responded with a clap on Tony's shoulder, "It's good to be home."

"Steve! It's so good to see you again!" Pepper exclaimed as she floated into the room, followed by Maria Hill. Pepper hugged Steve, patting him on the back supportively, "I'm so sorry Steve. I know how hard this week has been for you."

"We can only move forward from here," Steve said bravely as he pulled away, and Pepper didn't want to press the matter.

"Let me show you to your room, Steve," Maria stated, motioning with her head for him to follow.

"Come," Steve told his dog, and they followed Maria to the elevator where she pressed the button for the 90th floor. The elevator began to rise, taking them up into the living section of the Tower. When the elevator opened, it revealed a living area with a plasma television and several couches. Off to the right was a swinging door that led to a kitchen, and off to the right two double doors that most likely lead to his bedroom suite.

As Steve moved from the elevator into the living space, he looked around, noticing there were no other rooms. "Is this all mine?" He asked Hill in awe.

"Yes. Every Avenger has their own floor. There are only three floors above you, so you have one of the best views of the city. Tony had Pepper design everything very minimally, he wasn't sure what you'd want, but I'm sure he'd order anything you would like. There's a new uniform in your closet. If you need anything, just call for Jarvis. You can use the pad here," She motioned to a touchscreen near the elevator, "to lock everyone else out but you. We'll give you some time to settle in. Would you like me to get someone to walk your dog?"

"No, Agent Hill, I'm fine. Thank you though. You don't have to pretend to work for me. I know why you are here." Maria winked at Steve as she returned to the elevator, pressing the button to head back down to the party deck where the others were relaxing.

"Well Zadi, I guess it's just you and me," Steve muttered as he dumped his duffle bag on the floor and collapsed on the couch. The eighty-pound Rhodesian jumped onto his lap and curled up for a nap, quickly snoring against Steve's stomach. Steve pet the dog's head, content for the first time since the secret servicemen arrived at his door to split him and Kayla up. He was home, he was where he belonged. But he was alone with his thoughts and his guilt.

He laid on that couch and stared at the ceiling with his dog for hours, remembering every night he had spent with Kayla. He remembered her smirk when she would emerge from the bedroom after ten minutes, and her laugh when she would embarrass him by teasing him in bed. He wanted to live on that couch because no bed would ever be comfortable without her there. His breath caught in his chest when his memory replayed the last time he saw her: a heap of bones and flesh that he couldn't save. He pushed that memory aside and remembered the first night they met when she'd asked him to dance, and their first real date, when he'd taken her up on her offer. There were so many wonderful memories in those three months, but somehow the memory that kept reappearing was her dead body, and when he finally let that memory take over, he cried himself to sleep.

Steve wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but he was awakened by Jarvis alerting him that someone had broken into the building. He jumped up with a start, accidentally dropping Zawadi off the couch.

"Sorry buddy!" He apologized as he grabbed his shield that he had discarded near his duffle bag, and rushed toward the elevator. He hit the button for 81 to take him to the main living room where he assumed the rest of the team would convene. The elevator went down two floors, then stopped, opening the doors for Natasha to enter.

"Rogers."

"Romanoff."

"How do you like the Tower?" She asked, looking ahead as they dropped.

"High tech." Steve blurted.

Natasha smiled, eyeing him as the doors opened to the party deck. "You'll get used to it."

"Look alive people! We've got an intruder alert!" Tony ordered as he pulled up a holographic blueprint of the Tower. "Here." He pointed to a lower floor as a shadow person punched out one of the guards pursuing them as they flung open the door to the stairs.

"Looks like your security is handling it," Clint stated smugly, taking a bite of an apple as he leaned against the back of the couch. The security was struggling to keep up with the trespasser as they ran quickly, occasionally throwing a sloppy punch their way.

"No wait, watch him!" Bruce explained, pointing at the person as they leaped up the stairs, moving far quicker than the guards. "This person is too fast. That's not physically possible."

"Suit up! We've got an enhanced in the building." Steve ordered, getting a better grip on his shield. Tony hit a button and his suit came flying over to him. Natasha pulled a gun out of the back of her jeans as Clint snapped his bow into shape.

"Level 53. They've slowed because the security team is only on level 21." Bruce informed, staying behind to watch the virtual security feed.

"Jarvis!" Tony said in the Iron Man suit, "Floor 55. We'll meet them in the stairwell on their way up."

"Yes Sir." Jarvis responded, opening the elevator doors so the team could file in.

Once the doors closed, Clint looked around at the team awkwardly, "We've gone from fighting an alien army to destroying SHIELD to riding in an elevator."

"Shh!" Nat chastised her best friend as the doors opened to level 55.

"Romanoff, Barton, head to level 52, if they try to head back down, drive them up to me. Stark, you stay just outside the door, I'll signal you if I need you to fight. Hopefully we can subdue them easily without firepower."

"On it." Tony responded as the elevator took Clint and Natasha lower in the Tower. Steve snuck to the stairwell door, shield in hand protecting his blue shirt and jeans. He slowly and quietly opened the door and made his way into the hallway.

Steve heard the patter of feet on metal as the intruder ran up the stairs towards him. Steve stood prepared with his shield, ready to hit them with it when they got too close. They finally came into view, a black hoodie covering their face as they ran full speed up the stairs until they stopped, eyes locked on Steve.

Steve allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but the person's face was hidden deep in the hood of their sweatshirt. He took a step forward, trying to back them into a corner, but neither of them spoke for a moment. The person didn't lift their head, which would have revealed their face. They seemed... hesitant.

"What are you doing here? What do you want?" Steve asked calmly, but there was an edge in his voice.

The person took a step backward, and from the depths of the hood a gentle voice whimpered, "This was a mistake."

A spark of familiarity grabbed at Steve as he lunged at the woman and pulled off her hood, revealing luscious long blonde hair that fell from the shadows, illuminating Steve's world. The super soldier's knees gave out, but she reached forward and grabbed him, holding him steady as he fought to get his footing.

"Kay-you're alive?"

"Steve... I- I shouldn't have come here-" Kayla started backing away, slowly taking a step down the stairs.

"I don't understand, I saw you die..."

"I'll find somewhere else to go-"

Steve realized she was leaving him a moment too late as she sprinted down the stairs, running straight into Clint and Natasha.

"Kayla?" Natasha asked in disbelief as the blonde shoved them roughly to the side and kept running, taking four steps at a time.

"Kayla wait!" Steve yelled after her, trying to match her pace, but she was fast. Faster than she should be. Steve began to pick up the pace, finally swinging over the rail of the stairwell and allowing himself to fall several floors before he caught the rail, almost ripping it off its hinges. It was enough to stop the blonde though, who was still two floors higher running full speed. Steve grabbed at the stair and yanked his body back onto the floor of level 42, arm sore from grabbing and breaking the railing.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Kayla snapped as she approached him quickly, grabbing his arm to help him up. He noticed how strong her grip was and how easily she steadied him.

"I was thinking you were running away from me and I had to stop you," Steve answered, settling both hands on each of her arms. "Please, don't leave me. What happened?"

"I don't know." She sniffled, looking up at Steve. "Did Sam come back for me after I got shot?"

"He came to get your body, but the Triskelion crashed into the building and he had to go," Steve explained, eyeing her carefully. The hoodie hid her figure, but he was delighted to see her cheeks were plump and her lips were pink the way they were when she woke up in the morning, not the pale hue he saw when he watched her die.

"Sam came back. I knew it, he must have figured out what was in the bottle." She breathed, looking down at her own hands. Steve tilted her face up to look at him, and her eyes were wet. "I woke up in the rubble, the building had collapsed around me. Everything hurt like hell. Moving was like being stabbed, all my muscles ached with a pain I've never felt. They still do."

"I don't understand, I held you in my arms as you died! What happened to you? What bottle? How did you-" He stopped, looking her over carefully. "Roll up your sleeves."

"Steve-"

"Show me now." He ordered, but she backed away from him, putting her hands up in defense.

"You already know the answer to your question!" She yelled, tears spilling over her cheeks. "It wasn't meant for me, it was meant for you! I figured my mop up job was better than you being dead! I didn't want this for myself!" She started gasping for air as the tears fell freely from her green eyes, pain radiating through her body. "I'm scared Steve. I can't go home. I have nowhere to go."

"I have to see you." Steve quieted, hearing the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.

"I don't want you to. I don't want you to look at me differently."

"Please, let Bruce at least see you, run some tests, make sure you are okay. Almost every attempt at the super soldier serum has had negative effects, Kayla."

"What did you just say?" Tony gawked, flinging open the door to the stairwell. He had on his armor, but his helmet was off. He stared at her in disbelief as Natasha and Clint slowly made their way down the stairs, having also been eavesdropping on the couple's reunion.

"Kayla," Natasha started slowly, holding her hands up as a sign of peace as she approached the terrified blonde. "Kayla I know you are scared, but you have to talk to us. Did you create a super soldier serum?"

"I made it for Steve... I knew that if Hydra had infiltrated SHIELD they would use the formula they took last year to make the anti-serum. Whether it was for the Winter Soldier or Captain America, I knew I had to make something to counteract it. I've been working on recreating Erskine's serum far longer than the antidote, and I had to try. I gave it to Sam in case anything happened to Steve. I didn't think I'd be there, but I never thought he'd use it on me instead."

"I'm glad he did Kayla," Steve told her softly, pulling her into a gentle hug which she returned with a much stronger one. "Please though, let Doctor Banner take a look at you. He's got more experience with the effects of the serum than anyone else here. I just agreed to be a guinea pig."

"Okay." She acquiesced, looking around at the team. They stared at her with pity and intrigue, which is why she had chosen not to go to her parents. She'd hoped the Avengers would understand. If nothing else, she knew Steve would help her adjust.

It was ironic, really, that this is what she had hoped for Steve. Even if it wasn't perfect, it was better than being dead right?

But it hurt so damn much.


	23. Chapter 23

Author's Note: Thank you **April2016** for the review! Please favorite, follow, and of course review! I love getting reviews for this story, it inspires me to write it more! Let me know what you think, and leave me predictions if you think you know what's coming ;)

"Brucey! We have a project for you!" Tony called as he entered into the party deck, no longer in his suit. He waltzed into the room with Natasha and Clint in tow.

"What about the intruder?" Bruce asked, cleaning his glasses to prepare for the project Tony brought him.

"That's the project, we need you to do a physical, run some tests, that kind of thing," Tony added, stepping to the side.

Bruce looked up from his cleaning glasses to see Steve and Kayla standing before him. He quickly stood up and approached the pair.

"I heard you... the anti-serum? How are you here?" Bruce looked her up and down, a weak smile appearing on her face. Bruce chuckled, clasping her arm. "You did it?"

She nodded, her smile growing with pride. "I did. I did it, and I could have never done it without you and your work Doctor Banner."

"Well, let's just hope you did a better job than I did. Let's get you to the lab to run some tests. Steve, come with us." He led them back to the elevator and down to his lab.

"Alright Miss Ellis, let's see what we've got here," Bruce said as he flipped on the lights to his lab and motioned over to a metal table. "Do you-umm, have anything on underneath the sweatshirt?"

Kayla looked to Steve, who nodded encouragingly. She tugged at the bottom of her hoodie, pulling it up slowly and over her head, blushing under the stares of Bruce and Steve. She was only in her bra, but it wasn't her nakedness that intrigued them.

Her flat stomach now hosted a defined six-pack, and her arms were strong but slim. Even her chest was stronger than it had been before, Steve noticed. He was a bit relieved that she wasn't as huge as him, and he was sure she was relieved as well. She seemed almost ashamed at her appearance, something Steve didn't quite understand. He was thrilled to become the world's first super soldier, and he saw himself far superior after the serum. Kayla, on the other hand, seemed embarrassed to be strong and powerful, and Steve wanted her to be comfortable.

"Here." Steve picked her up by the waist and lifted her onto the table easily. She was barely heavier than she had been before, but he could feel her thighs were more muscular than before. She was at eye level with him now, and Steve kissed her sweetly on the lips, it was the first kiss they'd shared in days, and it put her at ease.

While Bruce got to work drawing blood, Steve stood next to Kayla, gazing at her lovingly. He wasn't alone. His Kayla was back from the dead, and for the first time ever, there was someone like him. He hadn't really related to Bruce, because the gamma radiation hadn't exactly worked as intended. Erskine died before he could replicate the serum for anyone else. And Bucky- well, Bucky may be a super soldier too, but he wasn't exactly in a place for sharing experiences with his old friend.

But Kayla, she was here, and she was scared. Steve knew it was his responsibility to help her adjust to her new life because things would be very different for her. He was something she knew and loved, and it was up to him to take care of her now.

"I'll run some tests on your blood, but the initial tests seem to be normal. At least, post-serum normal. Your numbers are closer to a regular person's than Steve's, however, they are trending on the side of super soldier. So far I don't see any adverse effects, but we'll keep an eye out for anything odd." Bruce diagnosed. "I'm assuming you are very sore, your muscles are tender. Most likely from being completely depleted and then strengthened with the serum. Take a day or two to rest, no rigorous activity." He looked pointedly at Steve who turned red as a tomato. "Nobody will chase you up here, right Cap?" Bruce smirked as he put his stethoscope away.

"Thanks, Banner. I appreciate it." Steve answered, choosing not to respond to the doctor's insinuations. Steve hadn't been too open about their relationship, except that they were in love, so it was fair of his teammates to assume they were sleeping together. Especially given Kayla's reputation.

"No worries Steve, like I said, take it easy okay? I'll check in again in a couple of days. Don't take any painkillers, as much as you want to. It may have an adverse reaction to the serum in your cells." Bruce explained, guiding them to the elevator. "See you guys later."

Once the doors of the elevator were closed, Steve hit the button for the 90th floor, which Kayla realized wasn't where they had come from. "Aren't we going to see the others?" She asked quietly, avoiding Steve's eyes as she shoved her hands in the pocket of her hoodie.

"Jarvis, please let Tony and the others know Kayla and I will be eating dinner at my place tonight. We'd like to be alone." Steve said to the air.

To Kayla's surprise, a British man answered, "Of course Captain Rogers."

"What the hell is that?" She spooked, looking up at the ceiling nervously.

"It's Tony's AI Jarvis. Everything here is automated. I'm sure you can operate it better than I can." He mumbled as the doors opened, revealing his floor.

He led her out, turning to the touch screen beside the door. With a frown, he typed into the pad until the automated voice read aloud, "Captain Rogers' Floor Locked". A chestnut blur came barreling toward the pair and Kayla fell to her knees to greet him.

"Zawadi!" She yelped as the dog knocked into her. She was strong, but let him knock her over and lick her face lovingly while she tugged on his ears. "Oh, Zadi I thought I'd never see you again!" She embraced the dog as Steve sat on the floor next to her. Zawadi settled after a moment and snuggled up against Kayla's legs as she leaned against the wall, facing the huge windows looking over New York City. She laid her head on Steve's shoulder and sighed, content at last.

"Kay, do your parents know you are alive?" Steve asked cautiously, but her presence told him he already knew the answer.

"I can't go back, Steve. I can't be the girl I was. I'll be a lab experiment and more people will want to use me for their own agenda. I can't live the way I have anymore."

"But your parents are heartbroken, they think you are dead. I know better than anyone how hard that is because I came back to hear what my friends did after I crashed. They searched and they hurt and you can save your family from that fate." Steve prodded, trying to sway his girlfriend's mind.

"I was at my own funeral Steve." She whispered, petting Zawadi as she stared ahead, "I was going to tell them once they were alone. But just before I had the chance, I panicked. I saw my mother sobbing and everyone taking her photo and I realized that if I went back it would cause a media circus, and I'd be the main act. I couldn't do it, Steve, not yet. I'm scared."

"I remember after Erskine died, the government didn't want me to go to war, they wanted me to sell war bonds. So I did, for a long time. Finally, I got my chance to show my worth and I've never looked back. Don't let the fear of being studied keep you from your family Kay. I'll never, _ever,_ let anyone hurt you again." Steve promised as he rubbed her hand and kissed her forehead.

She smiled at his touch, and turned her green eyes to stare into his blue ones, "It's more than that Steve. I'm scared of what the world will think of me, but I also know I'm meant for more now than what I was. I want to be here with you, helping people. I don't know if Sam gave me a gift or a curse, but I have it. Teach me how to use it."

Steve stood without a word, then reached his arm down to Kayla. She took it and he yanked her up quickly, using more force than he used to.

"You'll find everything around you, everyone you encounter, is weaker than you. You have to be cautious not to use too much force or you'll break something. If you pull too hard on a cabinet? You'll rip it right off. Phones are terrible but that could also be because I'm almost one hundred years old."

"Did you think I was weak? Did you have to hold back?" Kayla questioned, true curiosity flickering in her features.

"Yes." Steve responded simply, not letting go of her hands as he led her to the couch. "I was so careful with you. So gentle. I didn't want to break you. It would have been so easy to snap you like a twig if I wasn't cautious, I thought about accidentally hurting you all the time."

As the pair collapsed on the leather cushions, Kayla grabbed a hold of Steve's collar roughly, pulling him closer to her. "And now? How do you feel knowing I'm not as breakable?"

A devious grin lit up Steve's face, a smile that held more lust than Kayla had ever seen before, "It feels wonderful."

He pulled her mouth roughly to hers, smashing into her lips with more force than Kayla was used to, but she reveled in it. She put her hands on his chest and pushed him, effectively knocking him down so he was laying in the maroon couch. This only made his wicked smirk grow as she straddled him, ripping off the black hoodie so she was only in her bra and tight grey pants.

"The one time I actually feel like we could go all the way..." Steve breathed huskily as his thumb stroked her stomach, "Doctor's orders."

"I'm not going anywhere, Steve." Kayla hummed as she laid down on his chest to kiss him again sweetly. "I'm not going to leave you. I want this life now."

Steve stopped kissing her for a second, face thoughtful. "We better tell the team not to tell the President you're alive."

She pounced from him, and he noticed the sharp intake of air when she landed on the ground. She met his eyes and shrugged, "Everything hurts. I've been pushing through it, running on adrenaline."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the elevator, "We'll spend the next week curled up in bed if you want. We just need to make a plan with everyone else before somebody does something stupid."

She balked against his grip and it stopped him, catching him off guard. "Clothes Steve. I'm not wearing any clothes."

"Right." He stated as he jogged back and grabbed her sweatshirt, tossing it to her.

"It's late, are they up?" Kayla asked, holding the elevator for Steve.

"Jarvis? What's the status on the team?" Steve asked as the elevator began to descend to the communal level.

"Mr. Stark is on the party deck having a drink with Agent Barton and Doctor Banner. Agent Romanoff has retired for the evening." The elevator spoke as the doors opened.

"Well well well, if it isn't the lovebirds. I assumed it would be days before you emerged from your nest. What brings you here?" Tony joked as he lifted his drink in greeting.

"Tony, have you contacted the White House about Kayla's whereabouts?" Steve asked sternly.

"No, why would I? Don't they know...she's here?" Tony's question stalled, realizing the girl hadn't broken into his Tower because she needed to see Steve, she was running away from her life. "We can't hide you here Kayla. We'll be arrested if they find out."

"They can never find out I'm alive, they can never find out I'm like this." She stated confidently, assuring Tony. "Please, Tony, let me stay. I can't go back to my life, not like this."

"I mean, we aren't exactly low profile Miss Ellis, it's not like you'll be able to fly under the radar," Clint added, looking at her pleading eyes skeptically.

Kayla sighed deeply and tilted her head to the side, "I'll wear a disguise. I'll change my appearance. Kayla Ellis is dead. I am somebody new."

"With all due respect, don't you think that's a little selfish?" Bruce stated, taking a sip of his tea before he continued, "You'd rather make your parents suffer thinking their only child is dead than face the public's perception of you? You are no monster from what I can tell."

Kayla shook her head, then looked at Steve, "If I go back I'll always be in the public eye. And you and I, we won't be able to have the relationship we want." She turned to the other three men, "At least for a while, let me hide. Let me figure out who I am. I don't want to be a doll that somebody else can dress up and play with."

"Fine, but if anything comes from it, it's on you. I'll throw your ass under the bus quicker than you can say super soldier serum." Tony agreed, taking another swig. "You want a drink before you head back up?"

"Tequila. Straight please." Kayla ordered, stepping up to the bar with the men. Steve scoffed gently at her, there was a good chance she couldn't get drunk. But he wasn't going to tell her that yet.


	24. Chapter 24

Author's Note: So this chapter went flying in another direction fast! It's an idea I've been toying with being a minor issue, but I wasn't planning on introducing it this soon. But self-positivity is important, and anxiety is a real problem for so many people(Myself included. I'm home in bed today because a panic attack kept me from going to work). Kayla's had a harder life than she's let on, and she's finally starting to feel safe enough to share it. Please review, let me know what you think! 

"I'm hungry." Kayla whined as Steve led her back to the elevator. To his surprise, eight shots of tequila were enough to get her feeling a buzz, and four more were enough to get her quite tipsy. He was thankful for the serum working on her cells, or else he'd be taking her to the hospital with alcohol poisoning.

"If your metabolism is anything like mine, you'll need to eat much more than you are used to," Steve responded when the doors opened to the apartment floor. "I'm sure the fridge is stocked. I haven't had a chance to look yet, but Tony's always prepared. I can make you a sandwich, make some pasta, grilled cheese..."

"Or I can just eat all these pop tarts," Kayla mumbled through a mouth full of the pastries. While Steve had been pursuing the refrigerator Kayla found the pantry stocked with snacks.

"You're gonna need more than pop tarts honey. Thor loves those but even he will admit they do nothing to keep your body running."

"How about I eat two more of these tonight, and in the morning we can make a big breakfast?" Kayla suggested as she ripped open another packet.

"Two more pop tarts or two more sets of pop tarts?"

"Uhhh, two more sets!" Kayla chirped, ripping open the third package hungrily.

Steve shook his head at his girlfriend, happy to see her happy. He turned to the double doors, a bedroom he hadn't even seen yet. "Stay with me tonight, tomorrow I'm sure Pepper will get you set up with your own room. We'll get you new clothes and whatever you need."

Through the pop tarts, Kayla mumbled, "But I don wanna have mah own room." She gulped down the last of the food, expression hurt, "I want to stay with you. I came here to be with you."

Steve stuttered a little, trying to sort the information she'd given and his thoughts, "I know, but I'm sure you want your own space. It's not right for us to live together before marriage. Before we always had our own lives we went back to."

The hurt expression grew to despair as Kayla realized Steve was pushing her away, "I know you are scared of taking this step, but how do you think I feel? Unlike you, I wasn't prepared for this. I'm sore, I'm hungry, my hormones are going crazy, I don't feel like myself. I can't go back to my old room and be me again. Please, meet me here and I'll meet you on something else. I woke up alone, I don't want to wake up alone again."

"Where have you been sleeping?" Steve asked out of nowhere. "Since the Triskelion fell, where have you been?"

"I haven't been sleeping." She admitted, "I've been pacing. Trying to figure out what to do. You were in the hospital, I couldn't go there. I wanted to go to my parents, but I knew I couldn't face them. I stole this hoodie off someone's clothesline." She motioned to her clothes. "I've worn these pants since SHIELD put me in them. I can't sleep. Not alone."

Steve had always planned on doing things the right order. Courting. Love. Engagement. Marriage. Move In. Have Sex. Have Kids. Grow old together. Even after being frozen in the ice he found himself still clinging to that old-fashioned American dream. It's not that he didn't love Kayla, he did, with all of his heart.

He had courted her and he loved her, but he wasn't ready to marry her because they didn't know enough yet. She still had secrets that she hadn't shared, but knew almost everything about him that the public library could provide. She'd focused so much time during those three months learning what she didn't already know. But there were definitely parts of her past Steve didn't want to know, and she didn't seem eager to share.

But he needed to know those secrets before he could commit to being her husband. So the order would be messed up. A little more modern for his taste. What if they broke up? What if they got kicked out of Avengers Tower for whatever reason? Would living together ruin everything they'd worked for? Sure they had spent many nights and evenings together, but it was always something fleeting. This seemed so permanent. So domestic. And that scared Captain Steven Grant Rogers more than any war. The idea of settling down.

Steve Rogers stared at his girlfriend, her resolve fading under his scrutiny. It wasn't her fault. This was how she lived. This was what she knew. She hadn't gone into detail, but Steve knew she'd slept with many men long before love, sometimes for reasons that weren't so savory. He knew moving in with him was incredibly casual for her, compared the life she'd lived. She wanted comfort, and he could be a little uncomfortable for the woman he loved.

"You can stay." Steve told her, closing the gap between them. "I asked you to stay with me, so you can stay with me here." He motioned his head towards the double doors, and she opened them, revealing his room.

"Wow." She beamed as she took in the king-sized bed. To the right was a bathroom, and with the door open she could see a waterfall shower, and a jacuzzi tub. "They must really think you like to relax." She laughed, turning to face Steve who shrugged.

"I haven't really had much time to relax honestly."

"Well, maybe we can have a little downtime and relax together," Kayla answered with a wink as she traced her fingers along the jacuzzi.

"Maybe tomorrow." Steve corrected, placing a firm hand on the bed. It wasn't too soft, much to his delight. "Do you need to get ready for bed? Ten minutes. Tradition, you know."

Kayla shook her head, "No, not anymore. What you see is what you get! I don't even need my glasses which is appreciated, and I haven't worn any makeup in days. I don't even have a toothbrush."

Steve walked over to join her in the bathroom, opening one of the many drawers to peek inside. By the second drawer her found several toothbrushes, he grabbed a blue one and a red one and placed them into the built-in toothbrush holder next to the toothpaste dispenser."Now you do. This is your new home. We'll make it home together."

Kayla knew how much waiting until marriage to move in together meant to Steve. She remembered how big of a deal it was for him to invite her to spend the night, and he was just barely starting to get used to the idea that he could be allowed to see her naked. She was pushing the boundaries of his comfort level, and she appreciated how generous he was with her pushing. She didn't want to make Steve uncomfortable, but she wanted to feel safe and protected and close to him.

"Thank you Steve. I'm gonna grab a quick shower before bed, care to join me?"

Steve shook his head, that familiar smile plastered on his face that told her she'd asked something of him he hadn't experienced before. "I'm not ready for that yet."

"Yes, you are. You just keep telling yourself that you aren't ready because you are scared you won't be able to go back once you take the leap." Kayla confided kindly, then closed the bathroom door.

"Remember, ten minutes Kay." He joked through the door, but he knew she was right. There's nothing he wanted more than to join her in the shower that night. He wanted to drink her in and bare his soul like he never had with any woman before. He wanted to explore her and memorize her all over again, and he wanted to make sweet, sweet love to her each and every night.

But he was Captain America, and she was the President's Daughter. He had a duty to respect her and protect her, and he knew once they went down that road he could never come back. She could because she had many times before. But Steve had waited almost a hundred years for the right woman. Even though he was sure he had found her, he wasn't going to risk screwing it up by going too far too soon.

"Hey Steve?" Kayla called from the bathroom after he heard the water turn off.

"Yeah Kay?" Steve answered as he put what few clothes he had brought with him into the dresser drawers. I took the bottom two for himself and left the top two open for Kayla. He knew in time the large walk-in closet would be filled with dresses and shoes, and Steve would happily take the small side with some shelving.

"Do you have a shirt I could borrow to sleep in?" She asked as she peeked her head out from the steamy bathroom.

"I do," Steve answered slowly, meeting her eyes. "Is there a reason you are hiding? You've never been shy before."

Kayla opened the door wider, holding a towel around her bosom. Her breasts had been big before, but the muscles around them made them defined and luscious and Steve felt the need to discover them all over again. Her toned calves made way to thick thighs that he wanted to squeeze, even though he rightly assumed there was no fat left on them. He took her in impatiently, wanting her to hurry up and join her in bed. Even Steve Rogers fell victim to lust on occasion, especially when the woman he loved was barely covered before him.

He had loved every inch of her that he'd gotten to know before, but now he was desperate to fall in love again. She was strong, powerful, and sexy as hell. Those were adjective's Natasha had said modern women used about him, and he understood it for the first time looking at her standing there in the towel.

"I'm..." She thought her words carefully as she took a step forward, bare feet sinking into the comfy carpet, "I'm not feeling like myself." She decided, causing Steve's lips to pout in disappointment. "I just really want to sleep tonight. Maybe for a while. I know it's not really like me to want to take things slow, and you've been incredibly kind to me and I've harassed you about it a lot and-"

Steve put a finger to her lips, stopping her rambling, "It's fine Kay. I understand. I just want you to feel better." He reached into the drawer he had unpacked and pulled out a t-shirt, handing it to Kayla. Despite her reservations about being unclothed, Steve pulled his shirt over his head and stripped himself of his jeans. "Stark Tower can get kind of hot at night."

Kayla nodded suspiciously, "I'll keep that in mind."

Stark Tower did not get hot in the night. In fact, Steve turned down the room temperature for her to help ease her aching muscles and burning blood. She rolled for quite some time, never quite able to find comfort. Her arms weren't comfy and her stomach wasn't cushy anymore, so lying on her belly only pressed the firm bed against her sore abs. Finally, she laid on her back, seemingly the only part of her that hadn't changed much. She stared at the ceiling and listened to Steve's snoring beside her.

Steve was loud, but it was music to her ears. The sound reminded her that she wasn't alone. She turned her head to take in his sweet face. His chiseled jaw was set in his sleep, blonde hair falling across his forehead. She was sad she never got to play with his longer hair before he cut it but held hope that maybe, if she stayed in this spot for long enough, it would grow out and she'd have her chance.

Steve shifted in his sleep, and turned, his strong arm falling over Kayla's chest. Her breath caught, it was like she was getting used to his presence all over again because she felt everything with a clarity she hadn't known she was missing before. She smiled as his fingers curled around her arm protectively, and in that position she finally found enough peace to fall asleep for the first time in days.

Kayla woke up with Steve cuddled next to her, his lips resting against her forehead as her face fell towards him. She was still on her back with her arms on her stomach, but she became acutely aware of Steve's presence near her thigh.

 _Oh my God. In all the time I spent trying to seduce this man, now is when he wakes up with an erection?_

Kayla swallowed the bitterness building in her mind as she contemplated her predicament. She hated that Steve somehow found her sexier now that she'd taken the super soldier serum, that she was somehow _better_ than she was before. Now, in this confusing time where she didn't understand who or what she was, now the man she'd died for was finally ready to have his way with her? Had she not been good enough before? Had she been too much of a slut or a fake or a minx for him to want to truly be with? Or had she simply been too fragile, something Captain America didn't want to be responsible for breaking, both physically and emotionally.

She cried out in agony as the doubt and hurt smothered her brain. Steve shot up immediately and grabbed her two hands that were grasping at either side of her pained skull.

"Kay what's wrong?" He asked worriedly, taking in the way she scrunched her eyes as the ache continued.

"My head, it hurts. It hurts so bad." She yanked her hand away from his to press it against the side of her head. "It feels like it's burning."

"There's no muscles there..." Steve looked over her scalp, seeing nothing wrong.

"I know, but it burns so bad."

"What brought this on? Did you wake up like this?" Steve asked, trying to distract her from the pain. As he stroked her arm, the burning faded away, and she was able to catch her breath.

"I was- I was just thinking. About you actually. About you not wanting to be with me. And it started hurting." She explained, looking down at her hand as she pulled it away from her hair. She looked to Steve, who just stared at her with an unreadable expression. "Do you have any ideas what might be causing it?"

"You think I don't want to be with you?" Steve asked, changing the subject completely because that's all he took from her explanation. "I'm right here Kayla, I'm not going anywhere, not again. What do I have to do to prove that to you?" He asked her bitterly. What more could he possibly do for her?

"That's the problem, you want to be with me now, you won't leave me now. What about before Steve? What about when I was Kayla Dawn Ellis, the President's daughter, the woman who risked everything to be with you. Is it just some guilt that I died for you causing you to want to commit to me now? Or is it just because I'm better now. I'm new and improved and you finally see someone worthy of your conquest."

She grabbed at her hair again, the burning coming back tenfold. Steve's bitter expression faded into concern as she screamed out. Surely the other Avengers would hear her and come soon. He took a closer look at her head, seeing her scalp turning beat red.

"Kay, Kay I need you to calm down, do you hear me? You are doing this to yourself, you are causing the pain." Steve tried to explain. "This isn't you, you don't have this kind of self-doubt, and it's hurting you."

"No, you're wrong!" She yelped, gasping as the red color of her head started creeping down into her neck. "I've always hated who the world wanted me to be, and I hate myself for becoming what they asked. I hate what I became. And now, now it's even worse! Now I'm even more of a story than I was before!"

 _The serum amplifies everything that is inside. Good becomes great. Bad becomes worse._

"Kayla! Kayla stop, I know what's happening!" Steve pleaded, grabbing Kayla's face to get her attention. "Listen to me Kayla, you need to calm down _now_. Please. Please listen to me baby, it's the serum. It's making these thoughts worse, I need you to focus on me. Focus on us. Focus on who you are when you are with me."

"What the hell is happening up here?" Tony hollered as the elevator door opened, Pepper and Bruce exiting beside him. "Whoa, what happened to you?" He directed at Kayla, who's pale color was slowly coming back to her neck.

"It burns, it burns so bad. I can't make it stop!" Kayla cried again, but Steve pulled her cheek to focus on him again.

"Listen Kay, this is what the serum does, it's feeding off of your self-hate and it's turning you into a monster. You need to fight it. You need to embrace it because if not, you'll really hate what's about to happen to you. The serum will make the great things about you better, but it'll make the terrible parts unbearable if you can't get a hold of yourself." Steve scolded, desperate to get her to understand. She was turning into a modern-day Johann Schmidt fueled by an identity crisis instead of a desire for power.

"Listen, kid, I know you've been through a lot, but you need to simmer down." Tony wandered closer, taking a look at her scalp as she rubbed her hairline gingerly at her neck. "Bruce, take a look at this." Tony pointed to the spot she was rubbing, the red wasn't going away.

"I think we need to run some more tests." Doctor Banner exclaimed to his 'Science Bro' before turning to Steve, "We need to get her to the lab now."

"No. No, she doesn't need more tests, she needs therapy, this is a symptom of the serum and she needs to work out her issues with somebody." Steve answered, ignoring Bruce's orders.

Pepper took a step closer to the woman, and Kayla and she shared a pained glance. It had taken Pepper quite a bit of time to recover from the effects of the Extremis Virus, and Tony had been patient with her, shielding her from the world and those who may want to hurt her. Steve was doing the same for Kayla now.

"Tony, Bruce, let's give it another day. See how she feels tomorrow. I think Steve has a handle on the situation for now." Pepper told the men, then turned back to Kayla, "Would you mind if I ran out and bought you some new clothes? Something comfortable until you can get out yourself?"

"I'd like that very much. Thank you, Pepper." Kayla answered, finally calm. She didn't want to be pricked and poked again. She wanted to be safe and protected. And the only place she felt safe and protected was here, in this bed, in Steve's arms.

Steve would take care of her, even if her subconscious tried to convince her otherwise. Steve was a good man, and he didn't like her better this way. Right?


	25. Chapter 25

Once the others were gone, Steve got out of bed to make himself and Kayla breakfast. He led her to the small table and told her to sit and wait while he cooked. She stared out the windows in a daze. Jarvis informed her that Clint had collected Zawadi earlier in the morning for a walk since Captain Rogers and herself were still sleeping.

She enjoyed the quiet, but her head was racing. "Steve, is my face going to burn off?"

"Only if you keep freaking out about your changes," Steve answered bluntly, not looking away from the eggs he scrambled.

"Do you only want to have sex with me because I'm a super soldier now?"

"I've wanted to have sex with you since the night I met you." Steve stopped, realizing he shouldn't have said such a thing to a lady.

"Well, that makes me feel better," Kayla stated as she munched on a pop tart.

Steve glanced at her over his shoulder. She was still wearing his t-shirt as she didn't have any clothes of her own at that point. She had her feet propped up on the chair next to her, giving Steve a view of her black underwear. She was at least acting like herself, which was comforting. Once he convinced her the serum was making her emotions go haywire she was able to, as Tony said, simmer down.

"Do you consider me being a sexual deviant a good quality or a bad quality, because I think it's getting stronger and I don't want my face to melt off," Kayla stated again, almost in a trance as she considered her future if she continued down this road.

"Your face isn't going anywhere Kay." Steve gave her a kiss on the nose as he placed the eggs and bacon in front of her, "Now eat up. We have a long day of doing nothing ahead of us."

"Sounds delightful," Kayla answered, returning his kiss. "Although, I was wondering if maybe you'd work on training me. You know, so I can't defend myself and all that." She added as she stuffed a piece of bacon into her mouth.

"Defend yourself from what?" Steve asked as he picked up a hunk of eggs to pop into his mouth.

"From bad guys, duh." Kayla answered as if it was obvious, but Steve still didn't understand.

"There shouldn't be any bad guys in the Tower Kay, you are perfectly safe here."

Kayla matched his gaze, green eyes piercing his blue. "I know that. I mean out there." She pointed out the window with her fork. "Out in the world, you know, Avengers stuff."

Realization hit Steve like a ton of bricks and he nearly choked on his scrambled eggs. "Avengers stuff? Umm, Kayla, you aren't joining the Avengers. It's too dangerous. Somebody will recognize you and you lack the training to be out there in the field."

"That's why I need you to train me. You, Natasha, Clint. I want to be prepared to help the team."

"You are not a part of the Avengers Kayla. It's too dangerous." Steve's tone darkened his words the order of a Captain, not as her boyfriend.

Kayla shrugged, looking back down to her plate, "Fine, I'll just stay at home all day and wallow in my self-hate until my face melts off."

Steve's brows furrowed, Kayla was always very civilized with the soldier. Sexual but definitely not childish. This behavior was different for her. "Kay-"

"Please, Steve! I can't be trapped in this Tower, its why I didn't go home! Train me, recruit me, let me come along! If nothing, I make a heck of a scientist and I'm great at public relations. I would be an amazing asset, you just have to prime me to join the team." Kayla begged, puppy dog eyes wearing down the super soldier.

"Fine. We'll start training tomorrow. Today you need rest. Remember, doctor's orders." Steve reminded playfully as he stood to take his plate to the sink.

"Where are you off to?" Kayla asked curiously as Steve made his way into the bedroom suite. After placing her dishes in the sink she trotted over to the bedroom, looking around. "Steve?"

She heard the water of the bathtub running and she turned her attention to the bathroom, finally seeing her soldier.

"What'cha doing?" Kayla asked as she sidled up behind Steve, wrapping her hands around his waist. "Is this for me or you?"

He turned and kissed her, "For you. It'll help your muscles loosen up. While you are here I'm going to go train with Clint. Hopefully by the time I'm done Pepper will have your clothes."

Kayla stuck out her lower lip, pouting up at the blonde soldier, "I was hoping you'd join me."

Steve couldn't contain his smirk as he grabbed some bubble bath and dumped the contents of the bottle of the water. "I know. I will someday."

"You test my patience Steve Rogers. But I imagine someday it'll be worth it." She cooed as she stripped out of his T-shirt. That was his cue to leave, as she started tugging off her underwear he closed the bathroom door.

"So, things are a little weird now with the girlfriend huh? Nat got me up to speed on what happened." Clint panted as him and Steve practiced hand to hand combat.

"She thinks I like her better after the serum, which isn't true." Steve threw a punch which Clint easily dodged, "I'm just so happy she's alive, and you didn't see her after she took that dart. She's the most beautiful dame in the world again."

"And it helps that she's got the same serum in her blood that you do?" Clint sent a kick to Steve's side and Steve easily shoved him to the ground with his palm. He offered a hand to the archer to help his friend up.

"Is it so wrong if it does? Is it so wrong I like having somebody like me? Someone who will understand me for the first time since I woke up from the ice."

"Just keep in mind Cap, it wasn't her choice. She had a good life before the serum, you didn't. Just give her some time to adjust." Clint clapped Steve on the shoulder, wiping sweat from his face.

"Thanks Barton."

"Anytime. Also, can I just say that dog of yours is a beast? Where the hell did she get him?" Clint laughed as the two made their way to the locker room.

"Wakanda of all places," Steve answered.

"Since Agent Romanoff dumped all of SHIELD's files onto the internet, we've been digging through whatever we could find about bases. Hydra is far from dead, and I think it's going to take the Avengers to snuff it out." Maria Hill informed the group as they sat around a conference table, looking at the files she'd printed.

"Where do we start Cap?" Tony questioned looking at the files. "Shanghai, Utah, Sokovia?"

"Let's start closer to home, then work our way out. Try to finish off each base one by one." Steve answered, feeling comfort in something he knew. He was a soldier through and through, and peace made him uneasy. He hated that he found himself bored without a battle, but after all these years he'd lost everything he had except his identity of Captain America. So it's what he clung to easiest.

"So Utah, that will be fun." Tony groaned and threw his bead back as he spun in circles in the office chair.

"I'll get the quinjet ready. We can head out within the hour." Clint stated, standing from his seat.

"If you guys think you can handle it, I'd very much like to stay here." Bruce retorted, causing the others to look at him. "I don't think we should leave Kayla alone at a time like this, she's very fragile right now. You all go, you can handle without the Hulk for one mission."

"I hate to say it, but Doctor Banner is right." Steve agreed. "I can't stay but she can't be alone, she's feeling trapped. Maybe Doctor Banner can raise her spirits while we are gone."

"Sure, do science stuff, it'll be fun," Natasha said blandly, making eye contact with Bruce.

"Alright, let's suit up. Meet in an hour on the deck." Steve ordered.

Back at the apartment floor though, Kayla was not happy about the news of Steve's departure. She stood in the doorway of the bedroom with her arms crossed.

"You can't leave already! What happened to doing nothing all day?" Kayla whined as Steve changed into his new Captain America uniform Tony had designed and created.

"You are going to continue resting, and we'll all be back soon. We may need a rain check on the training but I _promise_ it will happen."

"Just like you promised you'd never let them take me? Or you promised we wouldn't hide in the shadows forever?" Kayla spat back angrily, not backing down. A dull pain crept into the back part of her brain, reminding her to control her seemingly hotter temper.

"In my defense, you are the one who wants to stay dead. Hiding isn't my idea, it's yours." Steve defended, grabbing his shield. Something caught his arm and pulled him back. He still wasn't used to her strength.

He turned to see Zawadi sitting at attention next to Kayla, panting expectedly at the soldier. Kayla held his arm, eyes glistening with mischief.

"Just be careful okay. Come home to me safely." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Please don't follow me this time." He responded, grabbing her face and pulling her into a kiss.

Then he left the girl and her dog to fend for themselves in the Avengers Tower. "Well, shall we go for a walk Zaddi?" The dog barked back in agreement and Kayla leashed up the dog's harness to his leash. She smiled happily when the dog's pulling didn't drag her into the elevator. She bopped from side to side with her dog as the elevator dropped ninety floors to the ground level, letting her out into the main building.

Once outside, she took a deep breath of the warm Manhattan air. She'd spent time in New York but wasn't super familiar with it, so she didn't mind getting a little lost along the way. She looked up when she saw the quinjet take off, beaming with pride. Her boyfriend was on that. She wasn't the only one who seemed interested in the jet. She made her way to a cafe with outdoor seating and got a table near the window where Zawadi could lay without being underfoot. She ordered an Americano and a small sandwich, nothing much seeing as she only had what little cash she had found hidden in the pocket of the hoodie she stole.

She stared up at the Avengers Tower, taking in the glistening windows of the massive building. Her home.

"It'll be a while before you see them return. Whenever they take the jet it's usually a few hours, sometimes a few days." The waitress explained while setting down Kayla's sandwich and coffee.

"Hmm?" Kayla asked as she looked up at the blonde waitress, Beth, her nametag said.

"The Avengers. It's why this place got rebuilt after the Battle of New York. The patrons like to sit out here and wait for Iron Man or the jet to fly by. Brings in a ton of business." Beth looked down at the blonde woman and her dog, recognition sparking in her eyes. "Do I know you?"

Kayla stiffened, lifting her chin to look up at the waitress. "Umm, I don't think so. I'm new to New York, so I don't really know anyone yet."

"Oh, I know who you look like! You look like Kayla Ellis. The President's daughter! It's such a shame what happened in D.C. I feel terrible for her family."

"Yeah, me too." The blonde said shamefully, looking down at Zawadi with a bittersweet smile as she patted his head lovingly.

"Well, I better get back to work. Take your time, like I said, the Avengers won't be back anytime soon, so the business will be slow." Beth turned to walk away and Kayla tossed a twenty dollar bill on the table.

Suddenly a flash of lightning struck the Avengers Tower, catching the attention of the two girls and the patrons around them.

"Look like Thor's late to the party." Beth laughed under her breath.

"What?" Kayla asked as she stroked a whimpering Zawadi under the table.

"Thor. God of Thunder? He's one of the Avengers. That," She pointed up to the top of the tower, "is most likely him."

"Oh good," Kayla responded as the waitress walked away. She untied Zawadi's leash from the table and clicked to get him to walk with him. She made her way back to the Avengers Tower to meet the Tower's new visitor.


	26. Chapter 26

"Lady Pepper, always a pleasure to see you." Thor boomed as he walked into Avengers Tower. "Where has the team gone? I've gotten word that Loki's scepter has been tampered with. The energy traces are off the charts here on Earth."

"You just missed them, but I can get you a flight to Utah if you'd like?" Tony's girlfriend offered sweetly as her heels clicked against the tile.

"No need Madam. I can always just ride the plane here. That's how I made it from London to here, Jane just pointed at a plane and told me it was headed to your home, I rode the wing all the way here over your great ocean."

"Wow, that's very strange." Pepper answered as the elevator door dinged, doors opening to reveal Kayla and Zawadi. "Kayla! This is Thor, Thor, this is Kayla. She's Steve's girl." Pepper added with a wink.

"The Captain has a girlfriend? And a beautiful one at that." Thor greeted with a bow, taking Kayla's hand and kissing it. "It's nice to meet you, Madam."

"The pleasure is all mine." Kayla responded professionally, then pointed to her dog, "This is Zawadi. My dog."

"I've heard of dogs! Man's best friend or something like that correct?" He looked up at Pepper questioningly as he knelt down and scratched the dog's large head.

"Yes." Pepper stated, smiling down at the large man. "Would you like to freshen up in your room from your...flight?"

"That sounds like a great idea! Once I return I shall contact the team using one of your magic screens and see if they need my help with the mission. If not, I'll just rest here until they return." Thor stood and stretched, then made his way to the elevator, which visibly dipped under his weight.

As the doors closed, Kayla turned to Pepper with a gawking expression on her face. "Is this guy real? My God, he's bigger than Steve!"

Pepper chuckled as she made her way around to the bar, setting down her iPad as she leaned against the wood. "He's a character. Good man." She studied Kayla for a moment before she continued. "I hope you don't mind me telling him you are Steve's girl. I just assumed you two were back together."

"Oh we are!" Kayla interjected, not wanting Pepper to think she was single. "We never broke up, officially. I just got taken away, forbidden from seeing him, and then I ...died..."

"You just seem to be struggling a little in your relationship with Steve after the serum. I understand changes like that are hard. Tony acted differently around me after Aldrich Killian exposed me to the Extremis Virus. I was scared, and Tony was scared. He took care of me, and he helped me through it. He fixed me. If you want to be cured of this, let Steve know. Between you and Doctor Banner I'm sure you can figure something out." Pepper looked the woman up and down, now that she was in jeans and a blouse Pepper could see how the serum had affected her. "I think Steve just appreciates having someone who's like him. He's one of a kind. And that can be pretty lonely."

"No, you are right," Kayla answered, "I've been struggling and I'm taking it out on Steve because I feel like he likes me better now." She gestured to herself weakly, "And I liked who I was before. I thought I knew who I was, but not I'm not so sure."

"You can be whoever you want to be Kayla. You wanted a clean slate and now you have it. Make the most of it. Don't blow it." Pepper advised, squeezing the girls arm supportively, but she looked down in shock. "Wow."

"I know right? It's great being hot and not having to work for it!" Kayla laughed loudly, smile gleaming.

"That's the spirit. I've got to go do some work. Let me know if you need anything. Banner is in the lab, Thor's floor is 85. Let Jarvis know if you need me, I'll be here all day. Enjoy the quiet, it doesn't last when everyone's around." Pepper winked as she walked away.

Kayla found Zawadi chewing on the corner of Stark's expensive couch, so she quickly shooed him towards the stairwell and took the stairs up. She was too antsy for elevators and wanted to burn off some of Zawadi's pent-up energy.

Once back in the apartment, Zawadi settled down on the bed and Kayla stood in the bathroom, looking into the mirror. Acceptance. Her life had changed. How would she change with it? The waitress at the cafe had recognized her, which only meant it would continue happening.

"Jarvis?" Kayla asked tentatively to the air, unsure of how to work the AI.

"Yes, Miss Ellis?" The room answered.

"I need to change my appearance. How would I go about doing so?"

Suddenly, the mirror became covered with options on each side, showing different avenues her features could take. "I recommend, Miss Ellis, testing out different options. Once you've found the look you want I'll contact a stylist to deliver the desired result."

"Wow, thanks, Jarvis," Kayla answered, staring at the mirror. She hit a button that looked like hair, and hundreds of different haircuts showed up on the side. Just for fun, she clicked on the pixie cut and nearly had a heart attack when her reflection showed her with barely any hair. "That's a little too extreme. Not right now." She mumbled, playing with different options. She tried out a bob, a lob, asymmetrical, even an option making her hair to the floor. She hummed to herself as she clicked on a tight perm option, gagging a little at the tight blonde ringlets on her head. "Nope."

But the curls were definitely a disguise, she continued looking at the curlier options and found a loose perm that wasn't too extreme, but the permanent beach waves would be a nice contrast to her naturally straight thick hair. She added side-swept bangs to be sure the look departed from her own, finding that hiding her forehead helped her face be less recognizable.

"Now for the color." She babbled to herself as she selected the style she wanted to keep. Even with curls and bangs, she'd still look too much like herself to live undetected. She had to make at least one drastic change to truly kill Kayla Ellis, and it terrified her.

She clicked on the black, and her current hair turned from blonde to inky darkness, causing Kayla to shiver, "Too supervillain. Not the vibe I'm going for." She then clicked on the red option and saw a Natasha Romanoff look-alike staring back at her. She chose the brunette and a pang in her chest told her the brown curls would only remind Steve of Peggy Carter, someone she admired, but didn't necessarily want to copy. She didn't want Steve to be with her because she'd turned herself into a clone of his old love.

"This is harder than I thought," Kayla mumbled, touching her own honey blonde locks affectionately. She tapped the mirror, adding a hind of caramel to her hair, darkening the blonde. She brought back the loose perm and bangs, then stood back and admired her reflection. It wasn't a huge change, but it was enough

"Jarvis. This is it. How soon can you send someone over?"

Several hours later Kayla emerged onto the party deck, her long hair wavy and caramel. Her long bangs curled off to the side, slightly covering her right eye. Zawadi ran ahead and jumped onto Thor, startling Doctor Banner.

"Zawadi, no!" Kayla yelped, realizing the dog's appearance could cause the Hulk to emerge.

"He's fine Lady Kayla, he's a very friendly creature. I don't mind his company." Thor assured her, but Kayla's desperate glance fell to Bruce.

Bruce just shrugged, readjusting his glasses, "I've spent the past year living here in the Tower with Tony Stark. Nothing your dog does can possibly be more startling than that." Bruce looked her over, taking in her new appearance, "Your hair is nice Miss Ellis. It will help you lay low for sure. And your eyes? Didn't they used to be green?"

"They are contacts." She shrugged, gesturing to her brown eyes. "My eyes are something I'm known for, so... I had to change them."

"You are still gorgeous Madam," Thor stated quietly, taking her in. "Steven is a very lucky man to call you his own."

Kayla blushed at the demi-god, pushing a loose curl away from her face. "Thank you. I consider myself very lucky to have him. He's a good man. He's caring, brave, handsome..." Kayla grabbed a water bottle and took a swig, trying to calm her red hot face.

"A good lover too I'm sure." Thor winked at the woman and she spit the water out.

Bruce and Thor stood there in shock. Bruce hadn't expected Thor's statement and Thor hadn't expected her response.

"Uhhh, sorry." She mumbled, wiping the water off her face.

"It's fine Kayla, I don't expect you to tell me the details of your time with the Captain. I'll get those from him later when he returns." Thor elbowed Bruce in a jesting way, but the doctor continued to stare ahead, feeling uncomfortable in the situation Thor had created. Thor felt no shame though, as the Prince of Asgard he was very used to stating his feelings openly with no repercussions. He was also used to joking around with the Avengers, who he considered some of his closest friends.

"There are no details to award. I don't know whether or not Steve is good in bed because he's not ready for that." Kayla said devilishly, her mocking tone sharp with resentment. Her demeanor softened with Thor's surprise so she added, "It's been difficult for me to be patient."

"I'm sorry for overstepping Miss." Thor apologized, turning his attention away from the woman to pet Zawadi with heavy strokes that made the dog pant with bliss. "I understand your reaction to my statement now. If you would like, I'll talk to Steven and tell him how you are feeling?"

"Oh, oh no, that's fine. You don't need to do that..." Kayla backpedaled, realizing it wasn't a conversation she wanted Steve to be on the receiving end of. If Thor revealed that, Tony would never let Steve forget it.

"Don't do what?" A voice came from the door to the quinjet pad. Kayla, Thor, and Bruce turned as Zawadi ran full speed towards the returning team.

"Welcome back Avengers! I've been waiting patiently for your return!" Thor boomed as he rose to greet his teammates. He scooped up little Natasha in a hug, which she didn't seem to appreciate. He shook hands with Clint and Tony, then clamped a massive hand on Steve's shoulder in congratulations. "I've met your lady Captain, I must say she is quite stunning." Thor winked at the soldier, who was visibly moved by the larger blonde's grasp.

Steve looked from Thor to Kayla, then did a double take when he realized she had changed. "Kay..." He walked away from the Avengers towards his girlfriend, who smiled widely at him, "You look amazing. Different, but amazing." He breathed, and she leaned up to kiss him, hands resting on the star on his chest.

"Thank you, darling." She sighed into the kiss. "Also I apologize for any awkward conversations Thor has with you later. I may have let it slip we haven't had sex."

"How the hell did that come up in conversation?" Steve laughed, wrapping his large arms around his lady.

"Don't worry about it." Kayla giggled back, kissing him again. "Are you ready to change?"

Steve looked up from Kayla, turning to look over his shoulder, "I think we better debrief first. Then we'll get changed and have dinner together as a team if that's alright?"

Kayla scoffed, "Of course it's alright. I'm not going to control you Steve. I want to be beside you."

That's what scared Steve. She'd already died once because she couldn't stay out of trouble. Fate had given her a second chance, but would she get a third? He couldn't risk it. But he also couldn't stop. He couldn't stop fighting for what was right. He loved Kayla, but he had a duty to the Avengers, to the world. He had a duty to America, which her father was still the leader of. He couldn't turn his back on his responsibilities, but he couldn't let her get hurt again. He'd learned though. Leaving her only led to her getting kidnapped or hurt. The only place she was really safe was with him.

"Tomorrow we start training. In the afternoon we fly to Shanghai to take care of that Hydra base."

"And find Loki's scepter," Thor added, leading the other Avengers to the couches where Bruce sat. "Somebody is tampering with the scepter and the sooner we get it the better."

"SHIELD had it, but Hydra grew within SHIELD. We can only assume that one of these Hydra bases is holding it." Natasha explained to Steve.

"We rest up tonight, continue searching tomorrow." Steve decided, then turned to Kayla, "The scepter is dangerous, however, you are a brilliant scientist, you may be able to help us safely retrieve it. Tomorrow at 0600 hours we'll meet in the training room for self-defense training. Romanoff, you'll join us. What's a super soldier without any training?"

"Your girlfriend." Kayla smiled as she kissed him again, happy that she finally got her way.

"Avengers, we'll meet in the debriefing room to talk strategy. Jarvis, order in pizza. Lots of it. Have it here within the hour. Let's move out." Steve commanded, and Kayla nearly swooned, fanning herself as she took a step back. He looked down at her, eyes scanning her familiar features and her new curly hair. "Take those contacts out. When we are home I want to see our eyes." Steve told her sternly.

"Yes Sir." She breathed as he turned to walk away, leading the team to debrief.

She loved Steve Rogers, but she _adored_ Captain America.


	27. Chapter 27

"You're gonna have to do better than that if you want to come on missions with us!" Steve snapped at Kayla from the sidelines of the boxing ring his girlfriend found herself in. She faced off against Natasha and clearly didn't know what she was doing. She punched aimlessly, and Natasha easily took her down to the ground.

Again.

Kayla groaned as she rolled herself over and pushed herself to her feet. Super stamina be damned, she had no technique at all. She'd learned to dance, so discipline wasn't an issue. But she didn't know how to fight. She's casually taken self-defense when her father was elected, but she wasn't prepared for the type of fighting Nat and Steve were teaching her. Getting away from a kidnapper was one thing. Defending herself against a highly trained assassin was a completely different ball field.

"Eyes up!" Natasha yelled as she swung at Kayla. Kayla blocked her hit, but her pride in doing one move right left her distracted when Natasha swept her feet out from under her and sent her crashing to the mat again. "You need to focus. You need to anticipate your opponent's next move. You're strength far outmatching mine, there is no reason I should be able to take you down. But here we are." Natasha set her boot on Kayla's chest, cutting off her air. "If I had the super soldier serum, I'd know how to use it."

Kayla didn't like that. She didn't like being looked down on and treated like she wasn't good enough. Kayla Dawn Ellis was always good enough and didn't have to try, and she sure as hell wasn't going to stop being good enough now.

With a grunt she grabbed Natasha's leg that held her and swung her to the side, sending the redhead across the ring to the ropes surrounding it. She leaned back and pushed off of her hands the way she'd seen Steve do, suddenly upright and staring at Natasha. Natasha caught her breath quickly and came after the girl again, but this time Kayla was focused, every throw Natasha sent, she blocked, and instead of punching Natasha she pushed out her elbow. When Natasha tried to flip her, she embraced the flip and somersaulted away from the spy. Natasha was one step ahead though, as soon as Kayla was standing again, Nat's boot connected hard with Kayla's stomach, knocking her to the ground again.

"Much better. Channel those feelings of self-doubt into your fighting, and you'll be able to focus better. When you thought I thought less of you, you proved me wrong. You don't need to prove yourself, but if that's what drives you, so be it." Natasha commented with a wave of her hand as Steve handed her a water bottle. "Now drink up. We aren't done yet." She tossed the bottle to Kayla and the girl caught it, seeming almost surprised that she had the coordination to catch the bottle thrown at such high speed.

"Thanks? I guess?" Kayla mumbled as she took a swig of the water. After downing all its contents, she tossed the bottle back to Steve, who caught it with the same ease she had.

"Alright Rogers, you're up," Natasha ordered as she snuck in between the ropes to trade places with the soldier.

"Oh goodie." Kayla wheezed as her boyfriend sized her up.

"Focus on me Kay." Steve pointed between his eyes and hers. "I won't hurt you."

"Don't hold back." Kayla hissed as she approached Steve, determined to learn what they had to teach.

Steve shrugged smugly, "Just don't say I didn't offer."

 **2 Hours Later**

"Ow ow ow!" Kayla whimpered out of the gym after taking another beating from Natasha. Steve kept his word, as he tries to, and didn't hurt Kayla. He held back and let her learn. However, Natasha hadn't been so kind. After switching with Steve again, Natasha did not hold back and surprisingly pushed Kayla to the point of actually being able to hold her own. After several meetings with the mat of course.

"You'll thank me later!" Natasha called with a laugh as she toweled off her face. She couldn't deny the blonde gave her a run for her money as far as stamina. As bad as she was at combat, she just kept going like a freaking energizer bunny.

"Get ready to leave at 1300 hours, Romanoff. It'll be a long flight to China." Steve told the Black Widow as he made his way towards the elevator behind his girlfriend. Nat gave Cap a firm nod, then turned to gather her gym bag.

Kayla and Steve rode the elevator in silence up to their floor. When the doors opened they walked in sync, but Steve went to drop off his back in the living room while Kayla made a beeline for the bed. Once she reached the bed she faceplanted, sprawling out her arms and legs across the navy blue comforter. Steve chuckled as a moan came from the fluffy pillows.

"The pain won't last. Give it an hour and you'll be good as new. Now come on, spend some time with me before I have to leave in a few hours." Steve rubbed her back gently and she stretched under the pressure of his fingers.

"Will you rub my back." She moaned happily as Steve's strong hands massaged her sore shoulders. She shuddered under his touch as she felt her muscles loosen.

"You are an angel." She groaned as she lifted her head from the pillow, taking in a deep breath. "When do you have to leave?"

"Four hours." Steve breathed back as she turned to face him,

"Do they need you before hand?" She questioned, pulling the hair tie out of her messy curls.

"Nope. I'm all yours." Steve growled as he leaned in to kiss his girl, nipping at her lip gently which caused her to giggle.

"Captain Rogers!" She squealed as his teeth grazed her pink lip again. She returned his affection by burying her face in the crook of his neck and biting him playfully. "It's a good thing Captain America's costume covers his neck, otherwise the bad guys would wonder what kind of trouble you've been into."

Steve stretched all the way to his legs from her nibbling, the contact sending shivers all down his spine. "You make it so damn hard to be a gentleman sometimes."

"Ah! Language Captain!" Kayla fake gasped as she pushed him away by the collarbone. Her laughter was contagious and Steve let himself collapse on top of her, his weight causing her to erupt on a fit of giggles that radiated under him. "Stop! You're crushing me!"

Steve silenced her with a deep kiss, his tongue exploring the inside of her mouth. He propped himself up on his elbows just enough that she wasn't bearing all his weight, even though she had just proved she could.

"I want... to come... with you." Kayla breathed between kisses.

"Not yet Kay, you aren't ready. I won't risk you getting hurt."

Kayla slid up towards the headboard from under Steve as he tried to reach her moving lips. "But with Pepper gone away on business for Stark Industries, I'll be here alone. What if you are gone for a long time?"

"We won't be. I promise. It'll be quick and easy, just like Utah. The plane ride will be longer than the mission." He explained hurriedly as he crawled closer to her at the head of the bed.

"What is Loki's scepter is there? I thought you needed my help to safely remove it?" Kayla countered, turning her face so he couldn't kiss her again.

He pouted as he sat on his haunches, hungry for more of her. "You can safely study it from the safety of Avengers Tower?" He shifted his weight back and forth, wanting to stop talking and get back to making out. He was a soldier heading out to war, and he wanted his dame to give him something to remember her by.

"Fine. Bring the scepter back from Shanghai. I'll study it here. But take me to Sokovia."

Steve obliged, "Deal. From what I've been told Sokovia is relatively sleepy. Some military unrest but I doubt Hydra has a great presence there. It'll be an easy first mission for you. Now that that's settled..." Steve grabbed her by her thighs and gently pulled her farther down the bed again, causing the woman to laugh loudly.

"Steve!" She cried out as he kissed her stomach, pulling off her sweaty workout shirt. His smooth chin skirted her ribs as he moved his face upwards towards her sports bra.

"Take this off." He huffed, nudging the edge of her bra with his nose.

"Aye aye, Captain."

"Not that kind of Captain," Steve eyed her from where his face laid on her lower chest. "Please Kaaaayyy."

Kayla smiled at his whining, appeasing him by stripping down. He gazed at her with blue eyes filled with lust, confliction burning in his heart and his brain.

 _No time. We have to go soon. I can't do this now. I want this to be special. I can't just be another guy to her..._

 _But I want her. I want her so damn bad._

"Captain Rogers."

Both Steve and Kayla startled at the sound of Jarvis's voice, Kayla pulling up a blanket around her top in case the disembodied voice had eyes.

"Yes Jarvis." Steve asked, his voice testy. His mind was on other things.

"Mr. Stark requests your presence on the party deck as soon as possible."

"What time is it?"

"It's 11:43 sir."

"Tell Stark I'll be there at 12:15, I've got some last minute errands to take care of. Goodbye Jarvis." Steve ended the conversation and pulled Kayla back into the bed.

"You almost ready Cap? Or do you need more time to finish your 'errands'?" Tony asked, putting air quotes around the word errands.

"What kind of errands?" Thor asked dubiously.

"The kind of errands that are none of your business." Steve barked back defensively, placing his hands on his belt as he always did when he wore his Captain America uniform. The team was on the party deck preparing to leave again. Kayla stood near Steve, shifting uncomfortably in place as she listened to the men banter. Zawadi trotted around, not sure whether to follow Clint packing up the quinjet or Thor pacing while tossing his hammer. The dog lowered his front to the ground, barking at Thor.

"No Zaddi, Thor isn't going to throw his hammer for you," Kayla informed the dog, but the Rhodesian was more interested in the demi-god.

"Here, if this will keep you occupied." Thor threw Mjolnir to the other side of the party deck, the dog chasing after it wildly.

"Hey, no throwing hammers in the house!" Tony scolded, taking a drink of whiskey. "Let's get this show on the road!"

"Let me just retrieve my hammer." Thor turned to reach for his hammer, but his view fell on Zawadi, happily carrying his hammer towards him. "That's not possible."

Kayla and Steve stared dumbfounded at the dog, unable to speak. Zawadi dropped the hammer on the ground with a thud, then wagged his tail happily to get Thor to throw it again.

"I mean, it's a dog. Can an animal be unworthy?" Steve asked, eyes locked on Zawadi as he sat patiently at Thor's feet.

"This beast is a worthy companion. No regular man can wield Mjolnir though, so don't get any ideas." He pointed the hammer around the room before making his way to the jet.

"Alright Cap, time to go." Tony prodded, leaving only Steve and Kayla behind.

Kayla gazed at Steve with all the adoration in the world. She placed her dainty hand on his chest, leaning against him as she reached up to kiss him. "Be safe. Come home soon."

"I will. I promise." Steve kissed her again, "When I get back, we'll pick up where we left off?"

Kayla threw her head back and chuckled, curls bouncing, "Yeah, where we left off."

Steve ran out the door to join the rest of the team, and a moment later the jet took off, leaving Kayla behind.

Instead of moping, she went down to the gym, Zawadi in tow, and practiced the moves Natasha had taught her.


	28. Chapter 28

Author's Note: Well, Part 2 is officially written! As this chapter shows, we are getting into Age of Ultron pretty quickly! Please favorite, follow, and please please please review! Get excited, Part 3 is gonna be fun. 

"Shit!"

"Language! Jarvis, what's the view from upstairs?"

"Oh don't even start, you swear more than Tony," Kayla added over the comms before Jarvis could explain the Sokovian Hydra base was much better fortified than any other base they had infiltrated.

Steve flipped off his motorcycle and threw it at the soldiers running toward them. "I know, it just slipped out."

Kayla rode her bike up beside Steve, motioning him to jump on. Her curly hair was pulled up into a bun, loose strands flowing behind her as she sped forward.

Suddenly Natasha cried out, "Clint!"

Steve and Kayla turned to see a blur running past them, far faster than they could go. "We have an enhanced in the field!"

"An enhanced?" Kayla asked nervously, slowing the bike to a stop near where Natasha was hovering over Clint. Steve launched himself from her bike to fight off soldier coming at them.

"He's a blur. All the new players we've faced, I've never seen this. In fact, I still haven't." Steve stated into his comm to something Thor said. Kayla wasn't really paying attention.

Natasha and Kayla decided to send Barton back to the jet with Thor while Steve and Tony stormed the building with Kayla as a backup, just in case. Natasha went to calm the Hulk, having almost destroyed those fighting against them it was time to bring back Banner.

Suddenly, a tank and several more soldiers came through the trees. Kayla noticed first, pointing at them without shame, "Uh, boys."

"Looks like they're lining up." Thor stated as he steadied his grip on Mjolnir.

"Well, they are excited." Steve responded as Thor bashed his hammer against Cap's shield, knocking down all the trees and soldiers coming their way.

"Let's go." Steve motioned for Kayla to follow as he made his way towards the base. Once inside, Steve took the lead, holding Kayla's hand as she trailed behind him. A few guards came at the pair, but Steve easily knocked them out. He knocked out one guard and entered a room, coming face to face with Baron Strucker. Steve held up his hand to keep Kayla beyond the wall he'd come from.

Kayla listened to the two talk, carefully peering around the corner to watch Steve's back. From the shadows she saw a woman with dark hair slowly making her way toward Steve and Strucker. Kayla bit her tongue, watching the women before alerting the men in case she was meant to be a distraction.

She quickly realized though, that Strucker was the distraction and the girl was the weapon.

"I'll put it right under illegal human experimentation. How many are there?" Steve asked before being knocked violently down the stairs by the woman.

"Steve!" Kayla screeched, lunging at the woman, but the brunette simply raised her hands, red smoke dancing around them. Kayla had seen the girl push Steve without even touching him, and seeing this power first hand was hypnotizing.

The brunette tipped her head to the side, looking between Kayla and Strucker, no one making a sound. Finally, her eyes narrowed at the blonde, and she spoke in a heavy accent. "Your scream. I've heard it before."

"What?" Kayla asked, but the girl quickly disappeared back through the door as Steve ran up the stairs.

"You'll have to be quicker than-" Steve kicked his shield into the air and kicked it straight at Strucker's chest before the scientist could finish his sentence, knocked out cold.

"Guys, I got Strucker." Steve said into the comms, then turned his attention to Kayla. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

"No. No she didn't. She recognized my scream." Kayla looked up into Steve's blue eyes, the brown contacts in hers quivering as fear-induced tears threatened to spill.

 _Don't cry on a mission. Don't cry on a mission. It's only the beginning..._

"You're staying for the farewell party right?" Tony's words pulled Kayla out of her thoughts. The team was flying back to Avengers Tower after securing Loki's scepter and handing over Strucker to the authorities. They were happy with their victory, but Kayla was freaking out. The girl, the girl with the red hands, she knew her. But Kayla had never spent any time in Sokovia. How could she know the girl?

"Yes, yes of course. A victory should be honored with revels." Thor answered Tony, and the two turned to Steve.

"Who doesn't love revels? Captain?" Tony prodded Steve, knowing if anyone would be a stick in the mud, it would be Captain America.

"Hopefully this puts an end to the Chitauri and Hydra. So yes, revels. Kayla?"

"Hmm?" Kayla looked up to Steve from where she sat near him, feigning ignorance at their conversation.

"How about a party? You love parties, you tell me about them all the time." Steve asked gently, grabbing the girl's hand from where he was standing.

"Steve, you know I can't come," Kayla answered sadly, rubbing her thumb against her boyfriend's knuckles. "Parties involve people, and people talk and take photos and people will recognize me."

"Kay... I promise I'll make sure nobody recognizes you who shouldn't. We'll keep it quiet, just a few friends, people we trust."

"You accomplished your first mission with the Avengers, I think that deserves a celebration as much as our victory!" Thor thundered happily at the girl.

"But what will I wear?" She asked vainly, finding it easy to slip into her old party going ways. And perhaps if all went well she'd end this party the way she offended ended parties: tangled up in bed. And she was looking right at the man she planned to ensnare.

"Parties not for a few days. Pepper will still be gone on business but Cap or I can accompany you to the store for an outfit. Preferably me because I have more style and a nicer car." Tony looked to Steve, daring him to object.

"He's not wrong." Kayla defended the billionaire innocently when Steve threw the other man a dirty look.

Steve didn't like the idea of Kayla spending time alone with Tony. He trusted both of them, but it didn't change the fact that Tony was the type of man Kayla was used to being with. Steve didn't want his girlfriend realizing he was too slow and not 'modern' enough for her. Plus the things Tony would say about him. And the way Kayla would flirt with him. Kayla would flirt with any man in an innocent way, but thinking of her charming Tony made his blood boil.

"I think I should take you. I can always wait outside." Steve decided, not excited about the prospect of shopping but it was better than the vision of Kayla and Tony shopping together. Alone.

Once back at the Tower, the Avengers went their separate ways. Steve was met by Maria Hill who went over what information she was able to dig up about the enhanced individuals they encountered in Sokovia. While Steve walked with Hill, Tony turned to Kayla, eyes twinkling mischievously.

"I can tell Spangles doesn't want us being alone together, which is why we are going to do it. I need to get your measurements for your uniform."

"Uniform?" Kayla asked Tony as she followed him off the ship.

"Yes. You can't just wear a training outfit like you did today. You need something with flair. Something that enhances your abilities." Tony said, spreading his arms dramatically.

"Trying to stay incognito Tony. I don't think having a signature uniform will help me blend in. Thanks, but, no thanks."

"This wasn't an offer, it's an order. I'm taking you to get a dress for the party and then starting on your suit." Tony answered, waving his hand flippantly as he walked away.

"I-" Kayla gave up, trotting after the others as they went their separate ways.

"Meet us in the lab in thirty minutes, we are gonna take a look at the scepter," Tony called over his shoulder as Kayla made her way towards the stairs to head up to her floor.

Once upstairs, Kayla found herself alone and completely overwhelmed. She stripped out of her the clothes she'd worn on the mission and sat on the floor in her bra and underwear. Zawadi wandered over to her and began licking her face comfortingly.

"Hey handsome." Kayla murmured, "I'm in way over my head here...I just wish it were simpler. I don't want to hide, but I don't want to go back. I don't know what I want."

"Whatever it is, I'll give it to you. I'll give you the world Kay."

Kayla turned to see Steve standing in the doorway, hands on the belt of his Captain America uniform.

"Hello, Steve." Kayla greeted, standing up and making her way over to Steve. When she reached him he took her hands in his, holding them tight. He searched her melancholy features, trying to figure out what she needed. Her brown contacts hid her feelings from him, and her wild curls covered part of her face. Steve wanted to comfort his girlfriend, but he didn't know how. He finally pulled her into a hug, feeling her hot flesh through the fabric of his uniform.

"You did well today. I'm proud of you. We'll keep training and you'll get better and better." Steve encouraged as he pulled away to beam at her and Kayla smiled weakly back.

"I'm just overwhelmed." She admitted quietly. "It's...scary out there. I've always been taken care of, and out there in the field, you need to complete the mission, not protect me."

"I'll always protect you-"

"Miss Ellis." Jarvis stated in the room.

With a frustrated sigh, Kayla looked up to the ceiling, "Yes Jarvis?"

"Mr. Stark requests your presence in the lab as soon as possible. He'd like to hear your opinions on the scepter."

"Staring into Steve's eyes, Kayla answered, "I'll be right there." Then, quieter to Steve, "Duty calls."

"I thought you wanted me to look over the scepter?" Kayla grumbled as Tony pushed the elevator button for Floor 24. As soon as Kayla had arrived in the lab, Tony quickly turned her around and ushered her back into the elevator.

"Plans have changed, Banner and I have work to do, I'm getting you set up for your uniform and your dress."

"Yay." Kayla moaned sarcastically, rolling her eyes. She'd taken out her contacts and pulled her hair back up into a ponytail to work in the lab, which she clearly was not actually welcome in.

As the doors opened, Tony led Kayla down a hall into a room that was of no importance to her. He opened the door, and a seamstress was waiting, three mirrors surrounding a raised platform. The space was clearly for meetings but Tony had it converted into a fitting room of sorts.

"Tammy, this is Dawn, Dawn, this is Tammy, she'll be taking your measurements and requests for your evening wear. Give her several designs, we party often. Once she has your measurements I'll start working on your uniform. Color scheme? You want to match Cap or you want something else?" Tony rambled quickly, introducing the two women. Kayla noticed Tony introduced her by her middle name, which comforted her. Perhaps she'd keep it that way. A little bit of her undercover.

"Nice to meet you." Kayla greeted the older woman, then turned to Tony. "I don't need to match Steve. I don't need a uniform."

"We've already discussed this, stop being difficult, you're getting deep blue-"

"And black. Blue and black. A little matchy but also subtle." Kayla raised her hand to add her request.

"Done! Now have fun with Tammy. See you later. Bye!" Tony hollered as he left the room, then Kayla turned to the woman.

"So what kind of dress do you want?" Tammy asked as she whipped out her tape measure and placed it to Kayla's waist.

Kayla watched the woman take her measurements, contemplating what she wanted. She smiled wickedly and answered, "Something that Captain America will want to take off."


	29. Chapter 29

For the first time since Kayla found Avengers Tower, everyone was at peace. After getting measured and leaving directions with the seamstress, Kayla returned to her room, clearly no longer welcome in the lab. She found Steve back in their apartment, reading something on an iPad at the kitchen table, Zawadi snoring quietly as he laid across his master's sneakers.

"Hey handsome!" Kayla called as she entered the room. Steve looked up and smiled in return, waving her over. Once Kayla reached him she sat on his thigh and he wrapped his large hand around her hip to keep her stabilized. "Whatcha reading?"

"I'm reading everything we were able to dig up on the twins."

"Twins?"

"Yeah, the enhanced kids we saw in the field. Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. They volunteered to be experimented on by Strucker. As far as we know they are the only two who survived his experiments."

Kayla shook at his words, imagining the torture they had gone through. She was unconscious as the super soldier serum took its effect on her. She couldn't imagine being awake, being aware of what's happening to her. She wondered if the twins were awake when they were experimented on. She hoped not for their sake.

"What are they?" She whispered, feeling like a bit of a monster herself when she thought about it. They were people, different, like her. Perhaps, if the world knew about her, they'd ask what she was too. And what would she say? A super soldier? No. A hero? No. A scientist? Maybe? A beautiful accident? Yes, that's what she was, a beautiful accident.

"He's super fast. Like, faster than the speed of light fast. And she has various powers, telekinetic, able to manipulate and read people's minds." Steve looked up to meet her eyes, "I remember when the weirdest thing in this world was me. Apparently, times have changed."

"Yeah, apparently." Kayla chuckled, looking over the information again. "They'll show up again."

"Yes, they will. We just have to try to be ready for them. But for now, let's talk about you. How's your head?"

Kayla bopped her head from side to side thinking, "It's fine. I'm not sore anymore, and I'm working on keeping my emotions in check. Everything on a physical and mental level is heightened and it's exhausting trying to keep up."

"Well, what if we do something that involves less thinking?" Steve suggested as he swooped her up into his arms as he stood.

"You know I'll never say no to that darling."

 **Several Days Later**

"Enjoy yourself, Sir."

"I always do," Tony answered the AI as he left the lab. Days of hard work with Banner had resulted in nothing. Nothing seemed to work to harness the power in the scepter. It was time for a party now.

The party deck was alive with visitors and the booze was flowing freely. Beautiful women in beautiful dresses and handsome men enjoying the view.

Steve felt a bit overwhelmed by the party as he entered the room alone. Tony told him Kayla would be 'fashionably late' and that he should just come when he was ready. He was right on time for the seven o'clock party start but he had the sneaking suspicion Tony told him the wrong time on purpose so he wouldn't be the first one there.

"About time you showed up Gramps." A voice called from the bar. Steve turned to see Tony standing there, raising a glass.

"I was told the party started at seven. It's two minutes after seven." Steve mumbled back and Tony laughed at him. Rhodey smacked Tony on the arm, sending him a glare.

"Give the man a break Tony, it's been a tough week. He's been through a lot." Rhodey hissed, then turned to the blonde soldier. "I'm sorry for your loss Steve."

Tony's eyes raised as he took a swig of his drink, waiting for Steve to answer. Tonight they'd have to explain to some people what had transpired two weeks ago. They had kept their secret on the down low, even Sam and Rhodey didn't know.

"About that..." Steve started when a brunette blur screeched happily and attached her petite arms to his side.

"Steve! Oh, it's so wonderful to see you!" Tiffany yelped as she embraced the soldier. Steve threw a panicked glance at Sam, who was standing next to the little woman.

Sam just shrugged as he held out his hand to shake Steve's, "I hope you don't mind, I brought a date." He said sheepishly as Tiffany continued to hug Steve.

"The more the merrier!" Tony interrupted, raising his glass in greeting.

As Tony and Sam introduced themselves, Tiffany pulled away, looking up to meet Steve's gaze. He could see tears forming in her hazel eyes. "We-uhh- we missed you at-at the funeral."

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it," Steve answered matter of factly, eyes darting around the room. His girl would kill him. Between Rhodes, who worked closely with the White House, and Tiffany, who was undoubtedly still close to her family, there was little doubt that Kayla's secret would be found out.

Tony smirked as he poured himself another drink, avoiding the pleading eye contact from Steve Rogers. Steve made his bed, he'd have to lie in it.

"How are you holding up?" Tiffany prodded gently, seeing the panic in Steve's face but misreading it as guilt caused by her presence.

"I'm doing okay actually," Steve mumbled, eyes still scanning the room, but Kayla was nowhere to be found. Perhaps it was for the best. Maybe she'd been alerted and decided not to come.

"You seem a little shook up, let's go play a round of pool, get away from the crowd," Sam suggested, eyeing a quiet corner of the bustling room.

"Sounds great." Steve sighed, grabbing himself a drink and leading the way to the table.

Sam and Tiffany exchanged a curious glance, and Tiffany's hazel eyes roamed to the billionaire standing near them holding back a laugh. He winked at the little brunette and she tilted her head questioningly, but Tony turned his attention back to his friend Rhodey as Thor lumbered up to join them.

Tiffany and Sam walked hand in hand over to where Steve was standing, setting up the pool table with laser focus.

"So what's the party for? You haven't exactly had a great couple of weeks, so the celebration seemed a little out of nowhere." Sam asked, seeing all the people Tony had most likely called, including some World War II veterans he wondered if Steve even knew.

"We were finally able to retrieve Loki's scepter from the Battle of New York. As far as we can tell that base in Sokovia was a pretty big Hydra hideout, and a pretty big battle to get into. Barton took a pretty bad hit, but thanks to Doctor Cho he's as good as new." Steve explained, feeling a sense of calm as he realized Kayla's secret was safe for now.

That is until he caught the sight of caramel colored curls emerging from the elevator.

"You wanna go upstairs? The view is beautiful, I think you guys should see it!" Steve yelped uncharacteristically, but Tiffany tugged on Sam's arm pleadingly and the pair allowed Steve to lead them up the stairs, away from Kayla. From above it would be harder for them to recognize her with his changed hair and muscular figure.

Steve babbled about the fight, leaving out any details about his girl's presence until Sam finally interjected.

"Sounds like a hell of a fight. Sorry I missed it." Sam stated, looking between Steve and Tiffany who shook her head disapprovingly.

"If I'd have known it was gonna be a firefight I absolutely would have called you." Steve defended but Sam just put his hand up in protest.

"No, I'm not actually sorry, I'm just trying to sound tough in front of the lady." He motioned over to Tiffany who winked at him, a flirty smile plastered on her face. "Avenging is your world, and your world is crazy."

Steve smiled in return, "Be it ever so humble."

Sam changed the subject, ready to get back to trying to figure out where Steve's head was at, "You found a place in Brooklyn yet?" Sam asked as he stopped to overlook the party, taking a swig of his drink. Tiffany eyed the blonde man carefully, waiting to analyze his response.

"I don't think I can afford a place in Brooklyn," Steve answered quickly, looking from Sam back to the party.

"Well, home is home you know?" Sam answered simply. Steve gazed at the man, his expression a mixture of sadness and longing. He wanted to go home, but Brooklyn didn't feel like home anymore. Avengers Tower didn't feel like home either though. D.C. hadn't really felt like home, it wasn't his city. Where Kayla was felt like home. But would she give up all of this for Brooklyn? Steve needed to be where the Avengers were anyway. He was their Captain, their leader, and it was his responsibility to be the first one into the fight.

"Hmmm, that corner looks pretty empty over there. Beautiful view. It would be a waste for it to go unoccupied." Tiffany sighed up at Sam, her face telling him she wanted to steal him away. She hadn't been out of the hospital long and was under strict orders to take it easy. Party going wasn't exactly 'taking it easy' but when Sam asked her to join him she jumped on the chance. That being said, she didn't care much for the party, she just wanted to keep getting to know him.

"You heard the lady, duty calls." Sam winked at Steve and escorted Tiffany over to the loveseat overlooking the city. Steve smiled weakly at the pair, then make his way downstairs to find Kayla.

As he looked for her, Thor stopped him, handing him a glass of something boozy as he chatted with some elderly men, explaining it was not meant for mortal men. Steve looked down at the drink, both intrigued by an alcohol that may have an effect on him, but also fascinated by the idea that he was 'no mortal man'. He shrugged and took a drink, instantly feeling the effects on the alcohol. Perhaps he was more mortal than Thor thought, but he appreciated something strong enough to influence his sobriety for the first time in so many decades.

"Buddy, I'm gonna need some of this for a later date," Steve whispered in Thor's ear as he took his drink and walked away, leaving Thor to chuckle in agreement as he patted the soldier on the back.

Meanwhile, Kayla had found a safe spot near Clint and Doctor Cho. The woman wasn't exactly looped in on her lineage and didn't spend enough time watching American politics while working in Seoul to recognize the President's daughter. Kayla explained that she was a scientist as well, and the two women hit it off, with Helen asking her questions about her work.

"Hydra forced me to create an anti-super soldier serum. However, what they didn't know was that I created a super soldier serum of my own. Doctor Banner believes I'm the closest to ever recreating Erskine's original formula, which I'm very proud of." Kayla stated, smiling grandly, but as she gestured to herself, she added, "I'm also very thankful for that as well. I never thought I'd be the guinea pig of my own experiment."

"It's fascinating really," Helen said as she looked over Kayla. "You are much less conspicuous than Captain America, yet you have the same abilities?"

"As far as I know..." Kayla answered, not having really tried to match Steve in any sort of way physically.

Kayla looked over her shoulder nervously at the crowd, Steve was nowhere to be found, which alarmed her. She was thankful for Clint's company because the archer kept a watchful eye out for anyone who could ruin her night, which she appreciated.

Kayla was hard to miss though. Her long wine colored dress fit her curves in all the delicious ways she had missed. The dress had a high neckline with an open back, but the material covering her chest was mesh, allowing the slightest of glances at her cleavage. The dress hugged her ass tightly and broke into a slit halfway down her left thigh. She'd styled her loose waves into tight caramel curls winding wildly around her face. While her dress was signature Kayla Ellis, her face was almost recognizable with her brown eyes and sharp contour. Instead of her signature red, she wore a deep plum lipstick, further departing from her normal party look. But she fit into that party like a glove, class and chaos and trouble waiting to happen.

After what seemed like ages, a strong hand placed itself on Kayla's shoulder, and she sighed in relief, recognizing the feeling of it immediately. She turned and looked over her shoulder, hair cascading around her as she smiled up at the soldier. Steve opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She took his breath away.

"Take a seat soldier," Kayla ordered as she pat the couch next to her. "Whatcha got there?" She motioned to the drink Thor had given her, noting Steve's glazed eyes.

"Asgardian liqueur. Packs quite a punch, I don't think you should-"

He was cut off by Kayla taking the glass and taking a long gulp of the beverage. Much like Steve, she opened her eyes from the drink to immediately regret it. "What the hell is this stuff?"

"Asgardian liqueur," Steve repeated, taking the glass as she licked her lips for more of a taste. "Not meant for mortal men. Definitely not meant for you, one who can _still_ get drunk with enough alcohol."

A sloppy smile found its way onto Kayla's face as she rested her chin on Steve's shoulder. "You look so good tonight." She hummed, playing with the rolled up sleeve of his blue shirt. "This is so tight I want to rip it off."

"Please don't," Steve stated, sighing deeply as he turned to a laughing Clint and blushing Cho. "Don't make me take you home early..."

"No! The party's barely begun!" Kayla whined, the evidence of her drunkenness filling Steve with dread again.

"Clint, keep her here for a second, I'm gonna get her some water," Steve asked of the archer as he stood quickly before she could pull him back down.

"No. No water. More booze." She laughed, a brilliant smile showing through.

"Listen, Kayla, you need to keep a low profile, otherwise people will realize..." Clint looked to Doctor Cho, who was listening intently. "Your secret." He finished, deciding 'your secret' wouldn't make Helen suspicious of her. Unlike 'who you are' which would definitely set off some red flags.

"You mean that I'm a super soldier or that I'm the President's daughter?" Kayla giggled as she blew her own cover anyway. "Screw it. Let them know the truth. I am-" Clint's lighting reflexes were just fast enough to dart from his chair to her side, covering her mouth as she began to talk loud enough for others to hear.

"Helen..." Clint started, pleading the woman to keep quiet about Kayla's words.

Doctor Cho simply nodded and shrugged, "I don't care much, either way, to be honest. Your secret is safe with me." Even though she didn't recognize Kayla as the President's daughter, she wasn't stupid. Helen knew the First Daughter had died, and after hearing Kayla's story and her tipsy confession, she was able to put two and two together.

Steve returned quickly with a tall glass of water, finding Clint covering Kayla's mouth. He sat down and looked at her sternly, "Drink."

She sighed deeply, looking at Steve longingly, "Do I have to? It's been so long since I've been drunk at a party..."

"Drink the water or I'm taking you to bed." Steve threatened her, his blue eyes strong as he stared her down.

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Kayla slurred, leaning closer, but Steve pulled away, changing tactics. He leaned in close to whisper in her hear, her curls tickling his face.

"Drink this now, sober up, and later I'll make it worth your while when I take you to bed." He said darkly, and it was enough to convince the girl because she grabbed the water and chugged it quickly.

Steve leaned back on the couch and put his arm loosely around her shoulder's, giving his direction to Clint and Cho, "Her metabolism is fast, like mine. She doesn't have the same cell protection that I do, so she can still get drunk with enough alcohol. However, I'd give it ten minutes, the water will speed up her recovery. She'll be sober as she started before we know it."

"It's fascinating really. How well she did." Bruce stated as he walked up behind the pair, acting as another shield from the rest of the room. "I-uh-overheard your scuffle and came to see what the issue was. No worries, most people are drunker than she is."

"Thanks, Bruce," Steve said, looking over Kayla's head as she rested her cheek on his shoulder.

As Steve had predicted, Kayla rested for about eight minutes, not talking, but Helen and Clint could see her eyes had begun to clear. It was amazing how quickly she could recover from alcohol meant for a demi-god, but she was pretty incredible. Clint couldn't help but scoff at Steve as he pressed a gentle kiss to her curls, yelling, "Get a room!" playfully at the pair.

Kayla sat up and addressed the group, noticing Bruce had joined them as well. "That was...weird. I'm sorry." She said as she rubbed the side of her head. "I've never sobered up that fast."

"It's the serum," Steve answered matter of factly. "It regenerates your cells and-"

"You told me you'd sleep with me if I sobered up didn't you? Or was that a drunken fever dream?"

"Isn't it a little soon for you to be sleeping with someone new Captain?" A voice came from behind them. Kayla stiffened but didn't turn around. She didn't recognize the man's voice, but Steve did, and he turned to face Rhodey. The man stood behind Bruce, a disgusted look on his face while Tony stood behind him, a guilty look on his face.


	30. Chapter 30

Author's Note: I'm going on vacation dear readers! So I'm dumping three chapters tonight to hold you off until I get back next Tuesday. PLEASE leave me reviews! I'm part way through Chapter 3 and I'm hitting a wall, I may just finish up the story early if I don't get any feedback, because your girl is struggling. Please follow, favorite, and as always, review! Happy weekend!

"Rhodey, this isn't what it looks like." Steve started to explain as he stood to face Rhodes.

"Man, do you know what that family has been through? I work with the White House, I've been there several times since the fall of SHIELD. They had to bury their child, but the only solace they have is that she died to save you. They'd be devastated if they knew you'd moved on so quickly." Rhodey didn't hold back, spelling out what he'd experienced with the First Family over the past couple weeks since the death of their daughter. He was berating the soldier, but luckily he was being quiet and hadn't drawn a crowd. "The White House is a mess, they've fired everyone and started over. Rogers, you can't let this get out."

"No. No Rhodey, we can't let this get out." The woman said, still facing away. "We can't let anybody know about this."

"See, even she knows this isn't right?" Rhodey said cautiously, eyeing the head of curls that turned slightly. He wasn't expecting the _girl_ of all people to see his point. But her deadly tone told him she wasn't happy about it.

Steve looked cautiously over to the woman, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Don't listen to him, he doesn't understand."

"But he will." She hissed back, then stood and turned, wild curls still shielding her face from curious onlookers. She took one step on the cushions, then another step onto the back, lunging towards Rhodey. She landed easily on her feet, grabbed him by the collarbone and threw him onto the ground. Up close, as she held him down, he could see who she really was.

"Miss Ellis?" James choked incredulously as she released her grip on his chest. "I-I don't understand..."

"I died taking a dart meant for Captain America. Luckily I'd made a super soldier serum on my own. And it's been quite a success so far. If you tell my family about my secret, I'll give you another demonstration of what the serum can do."

"Rogers. Help." Rhodey gasped, unable to get out from under the scantily clad woman who hovered over him, threatening him.

"I think the lady can speak for herself. She's happy Rhodey. Please, let her tell the truth on her own terms, in her own time." Steve informed the soldier, arms crossed as he leaned against the back of the couch.

Kayla rose and flung her long curls over her shoulder, staring down at the soldier who laid on the floor. Tony reached down and offered a hand to help his best friend up, and when he rose he turned to Kayla, eyes wide. "Are you really not going to tell them?"

Kayla's face fell, she wanted him to understand what she'd come to understand: she was different, and it wasn't her parents she was avoiding. It was the life they had, and the life she couldn't have anymore. "I want to. Someday."

"Were you going to tell me?" A furious voice asked from behind the group. It was Kayla's turn to recognize the voice, and her mouth dropped open. The pain in her heart hurt worse than the anti-serum. Steve rushed to her, grabbing her shoulders.

"Kayla, I-I meant to tell you she was here, I didn't get the chance. Sam brought her as a date."

"She's alive?" Kayla gasped out, looking up at Steve. He realized his error as quickly as she did, he hadn't told her he saw Tiffany at the funeral, and clearly, she hadn't seen the brunette while hiding there.

"It worked. It worked and you didn't even tell me? I saved her life, and you let me live with the guilt of failing?" Sam asked, breaking Steve just as easily as Tiffany had Kayla. The pair of super soldiers turned to their friends.

Sam looked angry, but Tiffany didn't. She didn't look sad. She didn't look disappointed. She looked ecstatic. Tears streamed from Kayla's eyes as she ran to her friend, throwing her strong arms around the small girl.

"Whoa." Tiffany mumbled into her shoulder as Kayla cried. "Damn girl, you are strong."

"The super soldier serum. Sam used it on me."

"I know. Sam told me. He assumed it didn't work when Steve didn't reach out to him..." Tiffany trailed off, pulling away from Kayla. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I can't Tiffany- I can't go back. I can't go back to be in the public eye, they'll tear me apart." Kayla explained quickly, looking around to make sure nobody else was listening. Most of the partygoers were being entertained by Thor in the other corner of the room, only a few Avengers, Doctor Cho, Rhodey, Sam and Tiffany were lingering around the revelation.

"Really man, how could you not tell me? I tried to save her..." Sam hissed at Steve, glaring furiously at the taller man.

"She asked me not to tell anybody, she wants to hide. Look at her, she's changed her appearance to try to blend in. I was going to tell you tonight, I didn't know you'd bring Tiffany..."

Sam and Steve shared a glance, Steve's blue eyes pleading Sam to understand that he didn't like the situation any more than Sam did. Finally, Steve added quietly, "Thank you, Sam. Thank you for saving her. I should have told you. I should have thanked you as soon as she showed up here. You are a good friend, and I should have been honest with you."

Sam clamped a hand on the soldier's strong shoulder, "You're welcome buddy. You deserve a second chance with her." The men turned their attention back to the women as Tiffany grabbed Kayla's hands and pulled her over to the light, taking her in. Her eyes were wide with awe as she laughed with her best friend. She never thought she'd get the chance again.

Any anger Tiffany felt at seeing Kayla faded as soon as Kayla's eyes met hers. She understood Kayla Ellis better than anyone, even Steve, and she understood why Kayla needed to hide. As much as it killed her, she understood why she couldn't tell her parents.

"I'll keep your secret Kay. I'll keep an eye on your parents for you, I'll take care of them. Just, promise me you'll think about telling them. Soon. They are hurting Kayla. We all are." Tiffany explained, meeting her friend's eyes.

"Thank you, Tiff. And I promise, no more secrets, I'll keep in touch. I'll tell them when the time is right. I'm just so happy here, with Steve, with all of them."

Tiff looked up into her friend's disguised eyes. "This is a dangerous road. When your father finds out, he'll be really mad."

"I know. And I'll cross the road when I come to it. But not tonight. Not yet."

"Suit yourself, babe. But, we better get going. I shouldn't even be here. Doctor's orders." Tiffany winked, then motioned with her head for Sam to follow.

"You two make a great pair!" Kayla called as they walked away, Sam turning back and flashing a grin while Tiffany just threw up a peace sign before walking out of the party.

"I'm sorry. That was my bad." Rhodey apologized, looking sheepishly between the super soldier pair.

"It's fine Rhodes." Steve shook his hand, accepting the apology with a smile. "We knew it would get out there eventually."

"Just don't cross me again." Kayla threatened with a wink and Tony raised his glass for a toast.

"To the Avengers!" Stark called out, and more of the room responded than he anticipated.

"To the Avengers!"

Kayla laughed boisterously and kissed Steve happily. He grabbed her by the waist and held her close, feeling her muscled side beneath his fingers. He'd planned on telling Sam, he'd assumed Tony would tell Rodey. He hadn't expected Tiffany. Either way, the hardest part of the night was over, and it was all easy going from here.

After a few hours, most of the partygoers had gone, and only the Avengers, Rhodey, Maria Hill, and Doctor Cho remained. They sat around a table, laughing and drinking. Kayla sat next to Steve wearing his leather jacket, her legs draped across his lap as he nursed a beer while playing cards with Tony and Rhodey. Clint was playing with drumsticks while making fun of Thor's hammer.

"Please, be my guest." Thor gestured to the hammer, and Clint stood to give it a shot.

After failing miserably, Tony, Rhodey, and Bruce all tried and failed to lift Mjolnir.

Kayla laughed loudly, mocking, "Come on! My dog can lift that hammer!"

"Well, I bet your dog is more worthy than you!" Tony barked back, gesturing towards the hammer.

"I won't take that bet, I _know_ Zawadi is more worthy than me!" She laughed, but reached over to the table, never leaving her place draped across Steve. She pulled the hammer loosely, and as predicted, it didn't move.

Steve and Thor exchanged a glance and the soldier stood to give it a try. Helen stared at Steve as he rolled his sleeves up, and Kayla shot her a jealous warning look. Helen averted her eyes with a smirk, still enjoying the image of Steve.

"Go ahead Steve, no pressure!" Tony called from his seat, excited to see his friend fail.

Steve pulled up on the handle, muscles bulging. Kayla moaned and threw her head back into the couch, causing everyone else to cat call and yell at her to get a room. This distracted everyone except Thor, who noticed Steve move the hammer ever so slightly. A worried look struck Thor's face, but Steve quickly gave up his quest and shrugged, putting up his hands in defeat as he went back to sit with Kayla. The women sat on Steve's lap, the slip falling open to reveal her leg as he held the small of her back against his chest.

They laughed and joked back and forth, Kayla completely content with how the evening had turned out. She snuggled up into Steve's large jacket, smelling his scent on it. She looked around the room at everyone, Natasha smiled grandly, her white teeth glistening as she gazed at Bruce. Tony and Rhodey stood next to Maria Hill, and Thor took another long swig of his beer.

"You're all not worthy." Thor joked as he held his hammer easily, but their laughter was interrupted by a loud screeching noise.

The noise burned Kayla's ears, but it wasn't the same pain as when she got upset. This was mechanical. Steve held her a little tighter and place his forehead to hers as the noise started to fade. When they looked up from each other, they saw a torn apart Iron Legion robot walking towards them.

"Worthy...No... How could you be worthy? You are all killers." The robot sneered.

"Stark." Steve muttered as he stood, pushing Kayla behind him. The soldier never took his eyes off the threatening robot, and his girlfriend had a tight grip around his waist.

"Jarvis!" Tony called, but there was no answer. Tony looked at a screen in his hand, trying to figure out what was happening.

"I'm sorry, I was asleep, or, a dream?" The robot stated, looking around confused as Tony mumbled something about a buggy suit. "I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."

"You killed someone?" Steve asked, holding Kayla's arm a little tighter as he stood like a statue in place.

"Steve, Steve I don't like this." Kayla whimpered behind him, but he didn't move. He couldn't move. He had to know all the variables.

The robot played Tony's voice, talking about a suit of armor around the world, which caused Bruce to exclaim, "Ultron!"

"Ultron? Is that what they were working on all this time? I wasn't allowed in the lab." Kayla whispered to Steve, who's eyes stayed steady on the robot, pieces coming together.

Before he could formulate a plan, the robot stated his mission, "Peace in our time."

Tons of Iron Legion robots burst through the wall, attacking the Avengers. As they flew forward Steve kicked up up the table, and the robots smashed into it, knocking him and Kayla over the couch and onto the floor.

Steve landed harshly on Kayla, and he could have sworn he heard something crack. "Are you okay?" He rolled off of her quickly to see her wince.

She nodded her head, "I'm fine. Go." She pushed herself to her side and scrambled up to sit closer to the couch. Steve leaped up and grabbed one of the robots from behind, trying to beat down the evil machine. This only caused it to jettison itself backward towards the wall, smashing Steve against the concrete wall of the room.

It was Steve's turn to wince as his back collided hard with the wall, but he didn't have time to react as the robot turned around and grabbed him by the shoulder, and dropped him, letting him fall harshly back onto the wood floor.

"Steve!" Kayla shouted as she ran towards him, dodging bullets from the robots. On got in her way of reaching the soldier, and she punched it. "Oww" She winced as she held her pained knuckles. While she was looking at her hand the robot reached out to grab her, but she noticed and roundhouse kicked it hard, sending it across the room before continuing her journey to Steve.

Before she could reach Steve though, her attention was drawn to the crouching figure of Helen Cho, hiding behind Tony's grand piano. Kayla turned on her heels and sprinted back towards the woman, sliding to a halt in front of the top half of a robot hovering closer to the scientist. Kayla knew there was a good chance she was about to have a hole blown through her chest, but it wouldn't be her first time dying. A feeling of bravery rose within her, and she knew she had to save Helen. Helen, who could do so much good in the world with her work, needed to live. The girl who didn't exist had to save her.

"Leave her alone," Kayla growled, firmly planting her foot in anticipation of the scuffle. The robot raised its hand to fire, Helen cowering behind the blonde. It's hand glowed, but it seemed to hesitate, powering down after a moment. Kayla's eye rose in confusion, but suddenly the robot was ripped away from her by Steve and thrown to Thor to smash.

Steve didn't so much as look at Kayla, and she didn't take it personally, she just stood at his side. When she heard Clint call out for Cap, she ducked, falling down to crouch on one leg while the other shot out to avoid being decapitated by the vibranium shield hurtling towards her boyfriend. Steve caught it easily and threw it powerfully at the robot, smashing it in half at the feet of their leader. Kayla flung her curls back over her shoulder to look up at Steve. He reached his hand down to help her up and she took it gratefully as she rose from her stance.

"That was dramatic." The robot called Ultron said, turning away from the group. "And I'm sorry, I know you mean well, you just didn't think it through. You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change."

Steve surged forward, but Kayla held his upper arm, keeping him a safe distance from the robot. His stern glare never left the mess of wires and shattered helmet. Kayla was an anchor, keeping him grounded, but the anger was bubbling underneath Steve's usually calm demeanor.

"There's only one path to peace, the Avengers extinction." Ultron didn't get a chance to elaborate because Thor chucked Mjolnir at the machine and shattered it against the wall. It started singing quietly as it eventually faded to silence, and the silence was more deafening than the firefight moments earlier.


	31. Chapter 31

Bruce looked around the room in sheer terror of what had just happened. The room stared at him with baited breath, hoping he wouldn't turn green and start ripping them apart. Finally, he took off towards the lab quickly, followed closely by Tony, Natasha, and Rhodey. Clint and Helen helped a limping Maria Hill down to the lab as well. Thor looked at the retreating group, but something flying past the tower caught his eye.

"It's a Legionnaire," Steve stated, and the two men lunged towards the doors to the jet pad, but Thor was faster and he swung his hammer, taking off after the robot.

Then it was just Steve staring after the retreating God of Thunder, and Kayla staring at him. "Are you okay Steve?" She asked gently, breaking the silence that had fallen on the pair.

Steve's cold expression melted into worry as he turned to face Kayla, quickly closing the space between them. "I'm fine. How are you? I heard something crack-"

"My ribs. Those were my ribs, but I'm okay. I'll rest up and be good as new." Kayla ran her fingers through his blonde hair, tugging the strands to the side. "You shouldn't have jumped onto that killer robot. It could have really hurt you." She warned, rubbing her thumb on his pale cheek.

"I'm not the one who stood in front of an innocent to save their life. You could have been killed." Steve responded, grabbing her hand and pressing it against his face. "I was terrified, Kayla."

Kayla opened her mouth to say something, but there were no words. Just a double standard that she couldn't evade. He'd never be comfortable with her in his world, but he'd never leave his world for her. She'd have to deal with him being Captain America, and he'd have to deal with the danger of being with him inevitably brought. They stared at each other for a moment and silently agreed to disagree, before Kayla nodded towards the door, telling Steve they should follow the others to the lab. He nodded and led the way as she followed swiftly behind.

When they arrived in the lab, they saw Bruce frantically typing away at a computer, while Tony stared blankly at one of his Iron Legion robots. Natasha had changed into a grey sweatshirt, and she was typing away on a different computer. Steve went to stand near Tony, leaning against a metal table. Kayla passed Steve and made her way to Maria, who sat with tweezers picking glass out of her feet. Kayla sat on the floor next to her, stretching out her legs.

"You okay?" Kayla asked, looking up at the brunette next to her.

"Yeah. I've been worse. I just don't usually engage in firefights barefoot." Maria chuckled.

"I get that. I don't usually engage in firefights in heels." She gestured to her stilettos with a laugh.

"Your poor dress though. Custom made and only lasted one night." Maria shook her head disappointedly.

"I know. It's a shame." Kayla sighed, looking down at the wine red scraps that were barely held together. The fabric that held the dress together above the slit and near the low back was stretched, barely holding together. There was a long rip on her right side, and she'd most likely flash someone if she wasn't still wearing Steve's jacket. She pulled the brown leather closer to her, sniffing it lightly, letting Steve's scent calm her until Bruce's voice broke her from her peace.

"All our work is gone. Ultron cleared out, used the internet as an escape hatch."

"Ultron." Steve spat, throwing Tony a dirty glare but Stark didn't notice.

"He's been in everything," Natasha turned from the computer she was working on, scanning the room, "Files, surveillance. He probably knows more about us than we know about each other."

Steve and Kayla exchanged a knowing glance. If he'd been in everything, he'd know she was alive. And he'd escaped through the internet with that knowledge, dragging it with him wherever he went. He could use the knowledge he'd gained about Kayla, about all of them, and use it against the Avengers. Kayla lost herself in thoughts of her future and was only brought out of her daze by Steve's voice breaking through the chatter.

"He didn't say dead. He said extinct." Kayla thought Steve's jaw could break as tight as he held it when he spoke. She could see him bottling up his anger, frustration, and disappointment at his teammates.

"He also said he killed somebody," Clint added from where he stood away. Kayla had learned that Hawkeye saw things better from a distance, and he'd often give himself space when he needed to watch and needed to think.

"There was no one else in the building," Maria stated, staring up at Clint as Kayla did.

"Yes, there was." Tony flicked his remote and a shattered yellow globe appeared before the group.

 _Jarvis._

Kayla's breath caught in her throat. She may have been a scientist, but even she couldn't fathom the wonders of Tony Stark's technology. He was a computer genius, had a way with metals and wires and electrics. She didn't understand how he'd created his AI, but what Kayla understood was that Jarvis was like a person. A person who had been murdered by Ultron.

Bruce made his way over to the yellow orb, looking at it curiously, "No, this isn't strategy. This is rage." He told the group quietly as he studied the shattered pieces of Tony's electronic assistant.

Suddenly Thor came storming into the lab, making a beeline for Tony. He grabbed the genius by the neck and lifted him off the ground angrily.

"Thor, the Legionnaire." Steve barked, getting Thor to focus on his mission and report his findings. Steve wouldn't let the team fall into shambles because of this. He was the Captain, and he needed to keep control.

Thor dropped Tony and turned to the team, "The trail went cold about a hundred miles out. And it has the scepter, so now we have to retrieve it. Again."

Thor's news caused Steve to roll his eyes. He was frustrated. They had gotten back Loki's scepter. They had finished off Hydra. They were done with it. And now, because his own teammates couldn't share their activities, they'd have to go back out and fight for it again. Put their lives on the line again, just as things had started to settle down a little.

Kayla saw Steve's face when Thor told him they'd have to go after the scepter, and her stomach sank. Ultron could be anywhere in the world with all their secrets, and he had a scepter that had helped bring an alien army to Earth. He had decided the Avengers needed to become extinct, even though he was created to help them.

"Why is it trying to kill us?" Helen asked, bringing Kayla back into the conversation. It was the million dollar question. Why would Tony create something with a desire to kill the Avengers?

Then, Tony laughed. He started laughing and Bruce shook his head subtly to signal the man to stop. But Tony laughed, even as the team looked around, trying to figure out why.

"You think this is funny?" Thor asked.

"No, no it's probably not right? Is this very terrible? Is this so, it is so terrible." Tony laughed, and Kayla stood quietly and began to slowly cross the room to where Steve was standing near Tony. Tony was babbling about creating the thing, but Kayla had her focus on Steve. She could see his anger boiling under his calm exterior, and she knew she needed to be a silent anchor, keeping him grounded while Tony was fluttering about.

"Well you did something right." Steve retorted, moving towards Tony, "And you did it right here. The Avengers were supposed to be different than SHIELD." He looked to Kayla who stood just behind him now. SHIELD had kept secrets from her, and used her, and ultimately killed her. The Avengers were supposed to be different: honest, noble, and trustworthy. But that trust had been broken. Steve couldn't let the Avengers hurt her the way SHIELD had. He didn't want to have to protect her from them too.

"Anybody remember when I carried a nuke through a wormhole?" Tony asked, changing the subject.

"I wasn't actually there for that," Kayla muttered, eyebrows raised in disbelief that this was going to be Stark's argument for his actions.

"We're the Avengers. We can bust arms dealers all the live long day, but that up there, that's the end game. How were you guys planning on beating that?" Tony explained, pointing to the ceiling.

Steve responded with the only answer he had to Tony's question. "Together."

"We'll lose." Tony snorted back, a haunted look in his eyes.

"Then we'll do that together too," Steve said sympathetically. He didn't understand Tony's motives, but he wasn't going to let the Avengers fall to ruin. Not now. Not when they had to stop Ultron. Tony turned away from Steve and the team, staring at the blank computer screen intensely. "Ultron's calling us out. I'd like to find him before he's ready for us. The worlds a big place. Let's start making it smaller. We'll start running traces for Ultron. Start seeing if there's any information about us coming out of places it doesn't belong. No sleep till we have answers. Then tomorrow we'll start looking again. Let's roll out." Steve ordered, and everyone began filing out of the lab.

Most of the Avengers left the lab, leaving only Steve, Kayla, and Tony behind. Steve looked to Kayla patiently, "You coming, Kay?"

"I'm gonna have Tony check out my ribs. I'll be there soon." She said simply. Steve's face fell, but he nodded and left the lab. Kayla felt terrible for making him feel guilty about hurting her, but she needed him to leave to talk to Tony alone. And this was the only way.

"I'm not a doctor," Tony mumbled without looking up from the blank computer screen. "You should have Bruce take a look at you."

"Why did you build the Ultron program?" Kayla asked quietly, not wasting time with fake excuses. Tony turned and stared at her, the haunted look still burning in his features.

"You don't want to know what I know. It's my burden to bear. I have my reasons."

"Tell me." Kayla hissed, taking a step towards the man. In her heels, she was almost half a foot taller than Tony, and she was imposing with her strong figure. At least she hoped she was.

"I can't have you running off and telling Cap. I need this to stay quiet. You don't understand." Tony growled back, not backing down from his place in front of the girl.

Kayla considered her options. Tony wouldn't tell her his motives behind Ultron if she told Steve. But she'd have to keep them a secret from Steve in order to get the information out of Stark. She was torn between her duty to her boyfriend and her curiosity. And as it often did, her curiosity won. She'd rather keep a secret than have a secret kept from her.

"Tell me, and I swear on my life I won't tell Steve or the others," Kayla told Tony quietly. Tony considered this for a moment, then decided to trust the girl.

"When we were in Sokovia, while I was retrieving the scepter, I had a vision. I saw the Avengers die." Tony stated simply, staring off at the wall as if he could still see the image in his head. "I saw a Leviathan, from the Battle of New York. I saw one of my Iron Legions. And then I saw the scepter, and when I got close to it, everything came alive, and when I turned they were all dead. All but me."

Kayla's lower lip shook as she stared at Tony, unable to form the questions swirling in her head. "What?"

"The Hulk, Thor, oh God, I'll never forget the empty look in Widow's eyes." Tony pushed his palm against his eyes, trying to shake the memory. "I created Ultron to protect the world in place of the Avengers. If Ultron could keep the world safe, we wouldn't be needed. We could go home, we could stay safe. I could save them. I could keep them from dying.

"How did they die?" Kayla whimpered, the image of the dead Avengers forming in her head too. She'd imagined them dying before, but hearing Tony say it made it more real. As if his vision gave some truth to her nightmares. "How did they die!" She screeched as she grabbed roughly at his arm.

"I-I don't know-" Tony stuttered, not understanding her question, or his vision, or why he was telling the girl all of this as she began to cry.

"How did _he_ die?" She sobbed, quaking in her heels.

Tony stared at her, letting a moment pass before he continued. "He just, died. His shield was ripped in half, broken down the middle. He grabbed at me and told me I could have saved them. He asked why I didn't do more." Tony didn't elaborate on the empty look in Cap's eyes as he died, looking up at Tony. The girl was already upset enough.

"I-I didn't kill them?" She asked quietly.

Tony grabbed her roughly and pulled her into a hug. He patted her head comfortingly as she sobbed onto the shoulder of his dress shirt. He could feel her quivering under his touch, so much fear and guilt and terror clouding her body. "No. No it wasn't your fault. You weren't even there. This was a massacre on a higher level. I saw the Leviathan join the others through the wormhole. On the other side though, it wasn't space. It was Earth."

"Steve, uh, said you were hurt. I thought maybe I should check on you, since, you know, I'm actually a doctor." Bruce walked in, looking at the pair skeptically as he interrupted their moment. He looked between the pair awkwardly, noticing how Tony was holding the girl tightly.

Kayla pulled away quickly, wiping snot from her nose as she inhaled quickly.

"Shhh, don't tell her that Banner. She just wanted me to check her out." Tony joked, but Kayla swatted at him hard, earning a wince from the older man.

"Well, let me take a look at you." Banner motioned over to a low table and patted it, motioning for her to sit. Once Kayla had hopped up on the table, Bruce went to work checking her ribs. He looked up and quietly asked, "What did Tony say to you? You seem pretty upset."

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Kayla shared a look with Tony. Now it was her burden to bear as well. The Avengers couldn't know what Tony had seen, they couldn't know that somehow he'd prophesized their demise.


	32. Chapter 32

Author's Note: Here's the last of the three chapters I uploaded while I'm on vacation! If you are following this story, the two chapters before this are also new! Please follow, favorite, and review! 

"Hey, Steve."

Steve looked up from the computer screen he was staring at over Natasha's shoulder. She was much better at that kind of research than he was. He rubbed his eye sleepily, causing Kayla to smile grimly. Even Captain America was human, and it was two in the morning.

"Hi. How are your ribs? I told Doctor Banner they were bothering you." He added quickly, wanting her to know he sent Banner down to look at her instead of Tony.

"He says I'll live. Just to take it easy for a day or two. I'm just sore. Again." She complained as she leaned up against him. "Is there anything I can do to help here?"

"No, not enough time has passed, there are no reports of Ultron yet. We should all just get some rest, try again tomorrow." Natasha answered for Steve, turning around to face the pair. "You two should go to bed. It's been a long night for all of us. I know you won't stop if she doesn't make you." Nat leveled with Steve, eyeing the tired soldier up and down.

"Let's go to bed." Steve agreed quietly as Natasha turned off the computer, rising from her chair. "Meet back here at eight, we'll start again."

"Meet back here at ten, after breakfast." Kayla corrected Steve, showing she was unsatisfied with his orders. "Not everyone can live without sleep like you."

"Aye aye, Miss Captain." Natasha saluted the woman as she brisked past the pair. She pulled her grey sweater around herself tighter, making her way to the elevator to take her to her apartment. Steve knew Natasha wouldn't sleep much either after the evening.

"Who said you could void my orders?" Steve asked Kayla, taking a step closer to her so his chest was inches from hers. There was a hint of bitterness in his voice, but Kayla could tell he was trying to hold back a smile.

"My selfishness. I don't want you up that early, leading the Avengers. I want you to sleep in with me." She reached out and took his hand in hers, squeezing it as she pulled it gently. "Let's go."

Steve let the smile overtake his unhappiness at being overruled by his girl, and he followed her to the elevator. But it wouldn't be an easy night. "Why did you have to talk to Tony?" Steve asked bluntly, wanting to know the truth.

"I needed to understand why he built Ultron. Why he betrayed us all." Kayla told Steve the truth, staring up into his blue eyes.

"Did you find out?"

"No." She lied, turning away from Steve. He sensed the tension in her voice, how it tightened around the syllable. He could see her face became more pained, as if she was fighting back something. He wanted to call her bluff, to tell her he knew she was lying.

"You're lying to me." He answered simply. It wasn't an accusation, it was an observation.

"I know." She responded, turning to look up at his face again. "But I can't tell you what I know. Just know he did what he thought was right. Trust me that he meant well. And that I wish I didn't know what I know."

"You can't tell me that and not elaborate Kay..." Steve trailed, hoping he could ease the truth out of her, "You can tell me anything."

"I know, but I promised I'd keep Tony's secret. Please just trust me on this one. I'll tell you when I can, okay?" Kayla compromised, if Steve didn't trust Tony, that was warranted. But he needed to trust her.

"Okay." He mumbled as the elevator dinged, doors opening to their floor. Steve kicked off his dress shoes, as Zawadi ran up to the pair, panting at Steve lovingly. The soldier pet the dog gently as he made his way to the bedroom, Kayla right behind him. He started unbuttoning his tight blue shirt, and then looked up to meet Kayla's eyes sheepishly. "I suppose you want to make good on my bribe from earlier?"

Kayla had forgotten that Steve had agreed to sleep with her if she sobered up. She'd forgotten that it was going to be the night they finally made love, but as the clock struck two twenty-four, she shook her head sleepily. "No. Not tonight. Let's just get some sleep. We have a mission to do tomorrow."

"Can I at least help you get out of your dress?" He offered as he unbuckled the belt holding up his dark jeans.

"I think I can handle it." She raised her hand to stop Steve and quickly backpedaled when she saw Steve's dejected face. "It's not you honey, I'm just tired."

"Okay. If you say so." Steve mumbled, making his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He couldn't shake the feeling in his gut that something had changed. And he couldn't keep his blood from boiling when he thought about the man he had to blame.

Ultron had shorted out the surveillance in the Tower, but Nat was able to get the video feed up pretty quickly. Although there was no audio, Steve was able to see how close Tony and Kayla had been, and how he grabbed her and held her and comforted her. And she couldn't tell Steve what had happened. She wouldn't share the details of that intimate moment. Bruce hadn't come because Steve asked him to check her out. Bruce interrupted them because if he didn't, he knew Steve would, and it would have gotten a lot uglier.

So that was the first time he went to bed angry with Kayla. When he returned from the bathroom, she was already in bed, wearing one of his large shirts, facing away from his side of the bed. He was angry that she was keeping secrets from him, and he was angry that she'd been so vulnerable with Tony and not him. He was angry that she'd rejected the idea of sleeping with him. The timing made the soldier very, very jealous.

What Steve didn't realize though, was that Kayla faced away because she had tears in her eyes. She couldn't shake the vision that Tony had told her of. She couldn't shake the idea of the team dying. She couldn't shake the idea of _Steve_ dying. Even if she didn't kill him, she wasn't there, and that made her cry even more. The idea of telling Steve of the vision felt too taboo. It was as if telling one of those who died sealed their fate, and that nothing Kayla did could keep it from happening.

Although the pair fell asleep on opposite sides of the bed, Steve awoke to find the girl sprawled across his chest, her curly hair tickling his nose. He smiled as she clenched him tightly, twitching in her sleep. He stroked her head lovingly, giving her a gentle kiss on her forehead to wake her. The gesture was enough to stir the girl from her sleep, and her eyes popped open sleepily.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I'm kind of a mess." She laughed when she realized her mane of frizzy hair was overtaking the soldier's space.

"You are beautiful." He admonished, grabbing her cheek in his palm. "I love you."

"I love you too. So much." She leaned forward and kissed Steve sweetly before stretching her arms and pushing her torso off the man. "What time is it?"

Steve rolled to the side, looking at the clock, "It's nine-thirty."

"Good thing I moved back our meeting." She joked as she leaned down to rub her nose across Steve's. Eskimo kisses are what she called them. She gave Steve Eskimo kisses when she thought she was right and he was wrong.

"Yeah yeah, sleeping in." Steve moaned, stretching his own arms from underneath her. "I'm going to take a shower. Do you want me to go first and then make breakfast while you get ready?"

"I could join you." Kayla offered timidly, unsure of how Steve would react. He watched her silently for a moment, she could see him weighing the idea in his head. It wasn't simple for him, because every step they took together was a step they could never come back from. But with everything happening, he realized he didn't want to come back.

"I'd like that." He finally answered with a slow nod of his head. Kayla smiled grandly and bounced herself off the bed, scampering to the bathroom. Moments later Steve heard the water running and he cautiously got out of bed. Before he had the chance to chicken out, Kayla appeared in the doorway, dressed only in a towel. Her curly caramel hair cascaded down her bare shoulders as she leaned seductively against the door frame. The towel stopped at her upper thigh and was wrapped tightly around her chest, but she still held it with one hand. Her smile was both electrifying and terrifying. Steve made his way over to her, and once he reached her, she yanked him roughly into the bathroom and slammed the door closed behind him.

Steve never skipped breakfast. He also never spent long getting ready. So when Stark sent a text to Rogers informing him that the group was having breakfast together, he was surprised that the soldier rejected his offer. Ten o'clock came and went and Cap wasn't there to hold his meeting, so the team ate while they researched, and chatted about where Steve and Kayla were.

"I bet she's finally taking his V-card," Tony informed while stuffing waffles into his face. "It's about damn time. Probably can't even keep it up, old bastard."

"Or maybe they are just sleeping, Tony. We were up late last night trying to track down our murder bot." Bruce spat, shame clear on his face as he sipped his coffee. The side of Natasha's mouth twitched up happily as she continued searching a computer next to the scientist. Clint sat next to Tony, eating his waffles quietly as Thor scarfed down several at a time.

"Sorry I'm late, I was getting ready!" Kayla hustled into the room, dishing up a massive plate of pancakes to rival Thor's. Once she'd piled pancakes and bacon onto her plate, she turned to the group, "So, what did I miss?"

The team looked around, trying to see who would speak to the girl first. Her hair was wet but pulled up into a bun. They also noticed she had not a lick of makeup on. She'd clearly just gotten out of the shower, so she hadn't been 'getting ready' at all. They also considered whether or not they should ask where Cap was.

"Not much. We were just wondering where Rogers was. He never misses a meeting. Especially the ones he calls." Tony muttered smugly as he took a drink from his cup.

"Oh, yeah, we slept in. Late night, all the fun stuff." Kayla smiled sweetly, not an inch of embarrassment on her face. Either they had really just slept in, or she was really good at hiding her activities. She saw the team's skepticism and added, "Maria caught Steve on the way here, she's updating him on what she's found."

Suddenly, Kayla heard a buzzing and noticed Clint look down at his phone and silently leave the room. Kayla looked to Natasha who offered a blank stare, not acknowledging the archer's weird behavior. Although Kayla didn't know him well enough to know what was odd and not.

"Speaking of getting ready." Tony broke the silence, looking up at Kayla, "Your suit's ready."

"My suit?" She asked quietly, scanning the room quickly to see if anyone was paying attention. They were.

"Yes. I'll have it delivered to your room. Do you need more time to get ready?" Tony asked, eyeing her up and down obviously, "Or did you get ready enough with Steve this morning?"

"Ha ha. Very funny." Kayla swallowed an obscene amount of pancake and swallowed it with a smile. "I'll go get it now. Steve's already ready to go."

"Why? Did he need a break?" Tony teased again, and Kayla glared at him.

"You know for someone who created a huge mess, you sure don't know when to stop do you?" She snapped, eyes hazing over with anger. She didn't want to be made fun of, and she didn't want Tony to make fun of Steve.

"Ahh, breakfast." Steve sniffed the air as he waltzed into the room, iPad in hand.

"What's this?" Tony asked as Steve handed the tablet to Thor, who in turn smashed it into Tony's chest.

"A message, Ultron killed Strucker," Steve answered as Kayla handed him a plate of eggs and bacon. She stared at the screen that Steve had brought, Strucker dead against the wall, Peace written in his blood on the wall behind him.

"Everything we had on Strucker has been erased," Natasha said as she searched for the man in their computer system.

"Not everything," Tony stated, motioning towards the file cabinets.

"I'm gonna need some coffee for this," Kayla mumbled as she grabbed a mug and the coffee pot, pouring herself a black hole to drown the impending search in.

Kayla sat on the floor, reading through files about terrible people who Strucker new. The rest of the Avengers chattered away as they searched, but she was too bored and apprehensive for that. After a while, their tone changed, and Kayla looked up from her reading, seeing the team crowding around a file that Tony recognized.

She stood quickly, leaving her paperwork behind as she joined the conversation. Bruce had moved to a computer, searching for a brand on a man's neck.

"It's a word in an African dialect meaning thief, in a much less friendly way," Bruce explained, reading the screen.

"What dialect?" Steve pressed the man.

Bruce struggled to pronounce the name, "Wakanada? Waka- Wakanda?"

Tony and Steve shared a tense glance, Tony speaking first, "If this guy got out of Wakanda with some of their trade goods..."

"I thought your father said he got the last of it?" Steve asked, and Kayla pressed a hand to his bicep, excitement growing at the prospect of returning to Wakanda.

"What comes out of Wakanda?" Bruce asked, looking around between the two men who were having a secret conversation.

Tony, Steve, and Kayla all looked towards the patriotic shield resting against one of the filing cabinets.

"The strongest metal on Earth."


	33. Chapter 33

"Are we going to Wakanda?" Kayla pressed, standing on her tiptoes to put her chin on Steve's shoulder to see to the computer where they got a DNA signal on Klaue.

"No, he's on the coast. Salvage yard. We'll leave right away. Suit up." Steve answered, pulling away from her and causing her to lose her footing and almost fall. She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout, but her boyfriend didn't seem to notice, too engrossed in rallying his team. He grabbed his shield and that signaled the rest of the team to prepare to leave.

Kayla made her way back to their apartment, she knew Steve wouldn't be joining her as he already had his pants and boots on, ready to leave. She was greeted by Zawadi, who barked, wanting her attention. "I know baby." She cooed to the dog as he whimpered when she knelt to stroke him, "I'm sorry I've been so busy. I'll leave word for someone to come play with you while I'm gone. I love you." She kissed the dog's head and stood to go into her room. As promised, her new suit sat on the bed, laid out neatly.

It was dark blue with black lining, the same shade of blue as Steve's old stealth suit. It reminded her of Natasha's outfit, but where hers was electric blue Kayla's was midnight black. It had the same belt to hold weapons, but she found none in there. There were black boots that almost came to her knees.

Kayla spent the next twenty minutes yanking the brand new skin-tight suit over her tight calves and waist and around her muscular arms. Finally, after lots of stretching and pulling, Kayla pulled the black zipper up the front of the blue suit. She then slid the fingerless gloves over her hands. Her uniform had taken a lot of inspiration from Widow's but was the same material as Steve's. Her belt came together in a simple circle, clicking easily under the pressure of Kayla's strength.

"I look ridiculous." She mumbled as she pulled her curly hair up into a high ponytail. Even pulled up, it still cascaded down her back, landing past her shoulders. She put in her brown contacts and went to leave when Zawadi caught her eye. "What do you have puppy?" Kayla asked as she approached the dog. He had something silky black in his mouth, and she pulled it out of his teeth gently to reveal a mask. "Ohhh no. No no no. I am no masked vigilante." She told the dog, but he just stared up at her with his mouth open and tongue hanging out, a smile if a dog could smile. She looked from Zawadi to the mask, then put it on, shuffling in her light boots over to the mirror. "I guess it isn't that bad. But I'm not wearing it." She pulled the mask off and folded it, placing it in her belt.

When Kayla arrived at the quinjet, she was met by catcalls from Tony. Natasha smiled encouragingly at the girl, trying to make her feel more at home in her new skin. Steve stood behind Clint, who was preparing the quinjet for taking off.

"Alright, do we have everyone-" Steve stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his girl in that skin-tight dark blue catsuit. He let out a long whistle, and Kayla blushed, Steve wasn't usually one for public displays of affection, especially in front of his team. All he could do was take her in, "Wow."

"Thanks." Kayla thanked him, her cheeks blushing from the attention she was getting. "How long till we are there?"

"About three hours, so get comfortable," Clint answered, barely looking over his shoulder as he flew the jet away from the city.

"Should have brought sweats." Kayla snapped her fingers in regret, looking up at Steve in his star-spangled Captain America uniform. Suddenly, she felt small and unimportant. She was dating _Captain America_. Kayla was aware that her boyfriend was Captain America, but sometimes it was easy to forget the man she'd been sleeping next to was a World War II veteran, an Avenger, a man out of time. For her, he was just Steve. And every time he left, she'd worry. Even if she was with, she was worried. Like she was worried right now...

They landed several miles from the salvage yard, Steve giving the team instructions. "Kayla, you stay here with Bruce. We'll let you know if we need a code green. Natasha, Clint, stay in the shadows, you'll know when we need you. Thor, Stark, and I will confront Ultron if we find him. If not, we'll confront Klaue. Whichever comes first. Any questions?"

Kayla raised her hand, "Why do I have to stay in the quinjet? Because if its a Code Green Bruce will come, but I'll still be in the quinjet. Why do I have to wait in the quinjet, I don't want to wait here."

The team turned to their leader, waiting for his response to his girlfriend's question. He sighed deeply, then leveled with her. "It's too dangerous for you."

"Then why am I even here?" She murmured, disappointed.

"Because- because I want to make sure you are safe. Just, stay. Please." Steve asked of her, but she crossed her arms, staring him down. "Kay..."

"Fine! I'll stay here with Bruce. But if shit hits the fan, I'm coming. You know I am." She threatened, knowing Steve wouldn't expect less from her after all the time they'd spent together.

"Let's go." Steve said simply, turning to leave with everyone except Bruce and Kayla.

A half hour later, Kayla was spinning in the pilot's chair, staring at the ceiling. "I hate this Bruce. I hate this so much. I wish I could do something to help."

Suddenly over the comm playing through the jet, gunshots rang out, causing Kayla to jump from the chair. "That's my cue!"

Bruce looked up from the speaker, eyes wide with panic. "No. No that is not your cue, stay here Kayla! Kayla!" Bruce hollered after the girl, but she was already running far faster than he could catch without the Hulk's help.

Kayla reached the warehouse as she heard Steve ask Thor for his status. Kayla tiptoed through the building, avoiding the real firefight in order to find her team. Although her uniform blended in with the background, her hair gave her away, and she had to knock out several of Klaue's men with a swift punch to the jaw. Thor's response to Steve's question left her weary, and she moved faster to find the Captain.

"The girl tries to warp my mind. Take special care, I doubt a human could keep her at bay."

Heeding Thor's warning, Kayla looked around quickly for a while until she saw the Maximoff girl sneak up to Steve as he lay against a staircase. Red smoke twirled from her hands to his cheek as she slapped him with her powers. "Stay away from him." Kayla hissed as she knocked into the girl viciously, sending them both to the ground. The brunette was stunned for a moment at the blonde's strength, so Kayla took this opportunity to leap back to Steve, but she saw him tumbling away, dropping his cowl by the wayside. "Steve?" She whimpered weakly, but the damage was done. Suddenly, her head felt light, everything bright as the salvage yard faded away to reveal an open field.

No, not a field, a cemetery. She was alone, but off to the side was a mass of people crowding around a casket with an American flag draped over it. Kayla approached cautiously, needing to know. She was too curious to walk away.

When she got closer, she saw her parents. They looked up at her, a sad look in their eyes. "Mom? Dad!" Kayla called as she ran to them and her parents embraced her in their arms, stroking her hair comfortingly. "I'm- I'm so sorry I didn't tell you I was alive, I just..." Kayla trailed off, seeing no recognition in her parent's faces, only pity. "I... didn't die?"

"No honey. No, it wasn't you. You didn't have a choice." Sandra stated as she rubbed Kayla's cheek.

"I don't understand..." Kayla turned to the crowd, thousands of people stood before her now, covering the grass. Dread set in as she started looking around.

She spotted Natasha and Sam, and when she sprinted to them, slower than she should be able to, they turned their noses up at her angrily.

"I- I don't understand." She muttered as she spun around again, this time seeing Tony, Bruce, and Thor. But someone very important was missing.

"He's dead Kay." Tony answered simply, not able to meet her eye.

It was then it clicked, Kayla turned to the casket, chest heaving uncontrollably. "No, no he didn't die. I died, I died for him!"

"No, you didn't." Bruce repeated, staring at the ground.

Kayla grabbed at the casket and tried to fling it open, but she couldn't. "Let me see him!" She cried out, as guards came to take her away, "LET ME SEE HIM!"

"There's nothing left to see. Faded away to dust from your anti-serum. It was you who shot him." Natasha spat angrily.

"What? No... no no no! Steve! Steve please, please come back. STEVE!"

Scarlett Witch was sneaking up behind Hawkeye when Kayla's blood curdling scream broke through her delusioned state into the real world, resonating throughout the salvage yard.

The scream didn't distract Barton, but Wanda's concentration was broken by the scream, stopping her in her tracks. Barton took this opportunity to thrust an electric arrow onto her forehead, stunning the brunette out of her trance.

"I've done the whole mind control thing. Not a fan." Clint told the girl before being knocked down by Pietro, who picked up his sister and sped away. "Yeah you better run!"

Kayla continued to wail, echoing throughout the building. Tony heard, but couldn't find her, he was trying desperately to take down Ultron. Steve vaguely heard her calling his name, but his mind was too far gone to react.

Peggy Carter stood before him, asking him to dance. "The wars over Steve. We can go home. Imagine it!" Steve danced with Peggy, and the dance hall became empty.

He turned to look around and Peggy was gone. After another circle Kayla was there, standing before him in the blue dress she had worn that first night they met. Her black stilettos clicked against the empty wooden dance floor. "Steve... it's time."

"Time for what?" Steve asked, holding her hands.

"To hang up the shield. You said that you'd be done, that we could run away together. You said we could leave this life behind."

"I- I can't Kay. They need me."

The blonde shook her white blonde hair, "No. No you need to be Captain America for yourself. The rest of the world will be just fine. Someone else can be Captain America, but I only get one Steve Rogers."

"Kay... you know I can't." Steve pleaded, grabbing her hands but she yanked them away, her lip quivering.

"I gave up everything for you. I died for you!"

"Please, Kayla..." Steve crushed his eyes closed to avoid the disappointed look on her face. She was tearing his heart apart.

"Go to hell Steve. I never want to see you again." Kayla spat, and when Steve opened his eyes she was gone. He was alone again.

Wanda was wincing from the arrow Clint had zapped her with. She looked up angrily when her brother asked what he could do.

"I'm gonna kill him. I'll be right back." Pietro informed, but she stopped him before he could speed off.

"No... I want to finish the plan. I want the big one." She turned her attention to Bruce who was still standing outside the quinjet, waiting for the signal to join the fight. Wanda turned back to her brother again, "I'll take care of him. But I need to know what that girl means to me. Can you grab her?"

Clint knelt in front of Natasha, cradling her face as the woman stared right through him, in a deep trance from Wanda's vision. He informed Tony that he wouldn't be getting any help any time soon. He looked up to see Quicksilver race past him, then double back and stop to threaten the archer. "You hurt my sister. Now, I will hurt all of you." With that, he sped off, and Clint didn't see how far he got, because he turned his attention to Nat, knowing he had to get her out of there quick.

"Cap! Cap, can you stand?" Barton asked as he found Steve laying on his back, staring at the ceiling breathing heavily. The soldier nodded dully and stood, wobbly as he tried to follow Barton to Thor, who was kneeling on the ground, trying to figure out where he was. "We have to get back to the quinjet," Barton explained, knowing Tony wouldn't be around for a while because he needed to stop Banner from tearing up the city. "Kayla? Kayla, do you copy? We need back up!"

His call fell on deaf ears as the girl wept in a corner nearby, unable to contain her emotions of the vision she was haunted by. Suddenly, she found herself being lifted up. She looked up with hazy eyes to see a blonde man carrying her. "Steve?" She whispered weakly, but her eyes rolled again and she was suddenly back in her vision, remembering that Steve was dead, and it was all her fault.


	34. Chapter 34

Clint practically carried Nat back to the empty quinjet. By now Thor was more or less back to normal, shaken, but in control of his mind. Steve's eyes were struggling to adjust to the light as if the real world was brighter than the dream state he'd awoken from. Clint was the first to realize the quinjet was empty. He'd known Banner had escaped, but Kayla was also gone. He turned to the Captain, waiting to see the soldier's reaction before he questioned him about it. "Steve, where's Kayla?"

Steve looked up at that, but his eyes were still struggling to understand. "Huh?" He grunted, his mind still battling between consciousness and hypnosis.

"Kayla, your girlfriend, she's gone. You told her to stay. But she's gone. Was she on the ship?" Clint elaborated as the soldier struggled to remember.

"She- I heard her voice right as the witch got to me. I didn't know if it was real or a trick. Perhaps she was there?"

Thor looked around, noticing there was no sign she'd been in a scuffle with the Hulk. "My guess is she left before the girl got to Banner, otherwise she'd probably be lying nearby."

"There was no one else there," Clint confirmed, and both men looked to Steve as Natasha continued to stare forward blankly.

"Was she taken?" Steve finally asked, fighting to regain his right mind. The Hulk was tearing apart the city. Kayla was gone. They were too broken to help either. "We need to regroup. We'll see what Tony says once he calms Banner."

"Steve, what if Ultron has Kayla?" Clint prodded again, and Steve just dropped his head, finally understanding. He'd broken his promise, again.

Kayla woke up to the humming of machinery. She wasn't sure exactly when she fell asleep. She just remembered crying and crying and whimpering and someone holding her. It was Steve? It was Steve, right? No, no it wasn't Steve. Steve was fast, but not that fast. Maximoff. He was fast. The girl? The girl had made her have that terrible vision. It was a vision eight? Steve wasn't dead. Right? Everything was fuzzy. There was just... humming. The girl groaned and opened her eyes. She was on a plane. There were crates everywhere. The vibranium. He'd gotten it. And her.

Ultron had her. Where was he taking her and why did he need _her_?

"She's awake." Kayla heard a voice whisper from the front of the plane. A robot was flying, but the twins sat just behind in the jet seats. Kayla stood and stared at the siblings, who returned her stare with steely ones of their own. Kayla took one small step forward, putting her hands up to show she didn't mean to harm them. She found herself trying to convince them she wasn't a threat, as opposed to being a threat. She knew when she was overpowered. This was one of those moments.

"Stay back, or we'll make you stay back. You've been comatose for hours, I can put you back to where you were." Wanda threatened, red beginning to swirl through her fingers.

"No. No, I don't want any trouble. I just want to know where I am. Why you want me. Where are the Avengers?" Kayla asked quietly, keeping her distance from the girl.

"The Avengers are in ruins. They ran and hid and left you behind." Pietro taunted, taking a step towards the blonde while his sister stayed behind. He was being cruel, but Wanda felt a tinge of guilt at the hurt face the girl made.

Had they really left her behind?

"Pietro. Don't." She started, placing her hand gently on his arm. He looked back at her in confusion, clearly thinking he was doing what he should, "They didn't leave you. We took you. You were screaming. I know your scream. How?" Wanda asked quickly, changing the subject as she slowly made her way towards Kayla.

"I don't know you." Kayla sneered, holding her ground as the twins came to stand before her. "I've never been to Sokovia."

"But you mean something to me," Wanda responded, tilting her head to study the woman. "I don't know what. Maybe you don't either. But I've heard your scream before."

"The first time I saw you were in Strucker's base, I swear I don't know you... perhaps you heard me... before." Kayla bit her tongue, refusing to tell the siblings who she really was, in case they could use it against her. Ultron already knew. They were taking her to Ultron.

"I woke up from Strucker's experiments, and the first thing I saw was the sun, and I heard your scream. And then I was awake, and I was this." Wanda gestured to the red dancing on her hands. "So you are very important to me, somehow, it was you I heard as I awoke."

"I don't know you. I can't help you, let me go." Kayla hissed, but she knew it was pointless. She didn't have the answers the psychic wanted, but she was already on the plane, so they'd be taking her to Ultron. Bitterly, she wished the Avengers had put some tracker on her, so they could find her. But she imagined if they did, they'd already have found her by now.

So she backed up to the rear of the plane and slid down the side, watching the twins as she did. She was quiet from then on, not pressing them for information or opening herself up to more questions. She had to stick to the status quo, because she couldn't bear to see any more visions from the witch.

When Maria Hill called the Avengers, they were in shambles. Clint flew the quinjet and Tony listened to her update, but everyone else was a mess. Bruce sat on the floor, shivering in a blanket while Natasha sat in a chair, the haunted look still plaguing her face. Thor was restless, moving about in thought. And Steve? Steve sat in a chair, looking out at his team with guilt plastered across his features. He stared at the floor, taking a deep breath as he raised his gaze. The team, his team, had taken a huge hit, and there was nothing he could do. He couldn't comfort them through their demons. He couldn't take back the things they'd seen and done. Banner had leveled a city. And Kayla... Kayla was gone. Whether she had come to the ship to help or stayed in the quinjet, she was taken by Ultron and the Maximoffs. She was gone, again, and he didn't even know where to start.

They flew for hours in silence, Steve couldn't find words to say to his team, all he could do was prepare apologies for Kayla. After a long while, Tony walked up beside Cap and put his hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry we lost her Cap. Banner said she left after hearing the gunfire. None of us saw her in the ship though. I put a tracker in her suit, but it's not working correctly. I'll try again once we land, maybe she'll be somewhere I can get a stronger signal. We'll find her, I promise."

Steve put his hand on Tony's, and Stark half expected to break it off, but Steve simply smiled up at him and thanked him. Tony walked away from Captain America, watching Clint fly through the air towards the secret safe house.

Clint landed the jet in a field and led the way to a two-story white house near a barn. He practically carried Nat, followed by Stark, Thor, Steve, and Banner bringing up the rear. When the reached the door, he opened it easily, and yelled: "Honey, I'm home."

A very pregnant brunette woman came around the corner, and Clint apologized, "Hi. Company. I'm sorry I didn't call ahead. Gentlemen, this is Laura."

"I know all your names." She said bashfully as she held onto Barton's side. Suddenly, two small children came running down the stairs, attacking Hawkeye with hugs.

"Sorry for barging in on you guys." Steve apologized, feeling like he, Thor, Tony, and Banner didn't belong in this moment. Natasha knew about Clint's safe house. His children called her 'Auntie Nat' and treated her like part of the family. Thor stepped on a toy and it snapped apart before he kicked it sheepishly towards Steve's boot. As Clint's daughter stared up at him, Scarlet Witch's vision flashed through Thor's mind, and he needed answers. He stormed out of the Barton house and Steve followed him.

"Thor," Steve called, needing answers. He felt very lost.

"I saw something in that dream. I need answers. I won't find them here." With that, he swung Mjolnir and flew up towards the sky.

Once alone, Steve stood in the doorway, looking out over the farmland. He turned to enter the house again, but stopped, hearing Peggy's voice in his head.

"We can go home."

"You said we could leave this life behind." Kayla's voice lingered after Peggy's, a haunting reminder of the life she wanted. The girl he left behind.

He couldn't have this life. He couldn't live on a farm in the middle of nowhere with a wife and kids. He couldn't just exist. He needed to help people. It's his purpose. It's what he was created for. He turned and walked down the stairs, away from the house and the people inside it. He needed time to think.

He made his way across the field, walking slowly in his Captain America suit, back towards the quinjet. When he arrived, he closed the door and opened a panel in the side of the jet, pulling out a pair of jeans to change into. He changed, peeling out of the red, white, and blue uniform. He threw it onto the floor angrily and stared at it bitterly.

"You said you'd hang up the shield."

Steve returned to the house in a blue workout shirt and blue jeans, picked up an ax and began to take out his anger on a pile of wood. After a few minutes, Tony came to join him, but he couldn't keep up with the pace of the soldier.

"Thor didn't say where he was going for answers?" Tony asked as she chopped a block of wood.

"Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things. I was kind of hoping Thor would be the exception." Steve answered bitterly. "Earth's mightiest heroes. Pulled apart like cotton candy."

"Seems like you walked away alright."

"What's the supposed to mean?" Steve asked, turning to Stark.

"I don't trust a guy without a dark side. Call me old-fashioned." Tony answered, eyeing Steve.

"Well, let's just say you haven't seen it yet. It's my job to keep it together. For the team."

"You know Ultron's trying to tear us apart right?" Tony asked, getting more worked up at Steve continued snapping the logs in two. "We created Ultron to end the team. Isn't that the mission? Isn't that why we fight, so we can end the fight and go home?"

That was the button that pushed Steve over the edge, ripping a log in half and breathing heavily as he stared at Stark. "Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts innocent people die. Every time. That was the problem with Project Insight, that's what killed Kayla. We are better than SHIELD, I won't stoop to that level. I won't let her down."

"She's already gone, Cap. All we can do now is stop Ultron before he causes even more damage. Maybe if you actually trusted her to do what you were _both_ designed to do, she wouldn't be so helpless. You can't keep her in a glass cage and expect no one will try to break her out. That's not the life any of us live." Tony bit back, and Steve stared at him. He could take the quinjet and search the world but he'd never find her without his team, and he'd never get her back without defeating Ultron. So that's what they had to do, as a team.

Laura Barton wandered toward the bickering men, bringing an abrupt halt to their discussion with a simple request, "I'm sorry Mr. Stark, Clint said you wouldn't mind, our tractor doesn't want to start at all, maybe you could..."

"Yeah, I'll give her a kick. Don't take from my pile." He ordered Steve as he walked away, leaving the soldier to continue his busy work so he could try to figure out how he'd help get his girlfriend back.

The jet carrying the Maximoff's and Kayla landed in Seoul near the Genetic Research Lab. Kayla vaguely remembered this being where Doctor Cho worked, and she started piecing together what was happening. Ultron had come to Doctor Cho, who did genetic research. But he was a robot. A robot who wanted humanity to evolve...He was building a body.

"Wanda, can I call you Wanda, what is Ultron doing? What does he want?" Kayla asked as Pietro led her roughly by the arm into the building.

"We are going to destroy the Avengers." She answered simply, then stopped walking and turned around to face Kayla, "And you are going to help us."

"I will _never_ help you hurt them." Kayla snarled, balking against Pietro, and he wasn't able to move her.

"Maybe not willingly, but lucky for us, we have ways around that." A sinister voice came from behind the blonde, and she suddenly lost control of her body, her eyes turning blue as Ultron placed Loki's scepter against her back, taking her mind as his own. "Now, tell me everything you know about the Avengers."


	35. Chapter 35

Author's Note: I just wrote Chapter 50 of this story! Please comment and let me know if you are still reading/liking this story, and any questions or issues you may have noticed! Review please! 

"Has anyone been in touch with Helen Cho?" Bruce asked as the team tried to figure out where to find Ultron and what his next target would be.

"No, she went back to Seoul right?" Tony asked.

"Yes. She works at the U-Gin Genetics Research Facility. She's able to create tissue with her regeneration cradle. Ultron may go to her for a new body. We need to go, now." Bruce answered, rising from his place at the table.

"I'll take Natasha and Clint to find Cho. You go to Oslo to check with NEXUS."

"I'll drop Banner off at the Tower, may I borrow Miss Hill?" Fury asked nicely, but it wasn't really a question.

"She's all yours apparently. What are you gonna do?" Tony asked as the team prepared to leave the kitchen.

"Something dramatic I hope." Fury answered as he waved Banner to follow towards wherever his jet was hiding.

"Barton, Romanoff, suit up. The sooner the better. It's gonna be a long flight." Steve ordered, making his way out the front door towards the quinjet as Clint and Nat went to their rooms to prepare to leave. Steve found himself alone in the jet, putting back on his uniform. Suddenly a knock came from the metal frame of the door and Steve turned to find Tony standing there in his Iron Man suit.

"I've tracked Kayla's suit to Seoul. Ultron must have her. She's at the U-Gin facility." Tony said, a pang of guilt in his voice.

"Then we'll kill two birds with one stone. We'll stop Ultron and get Kayla back." Steve mumbled, turning away to start the quinjet's engine.

"Well, good luck Cap," Tony muttered as his helmet covered his face and he took off into the sky, making his way to Oslo.

"You ready Rogers?" Natasha asked from behind the burly soldier, his shoulders softened at her voice.

"Yeah, let's move." With that Clint took to the driver's seat and the quinjet took off into the sky as Laura Barton watched her husband leave, praying he'd return.

"Cellular cohesion will take a few hours, but we'll initiate the consciousness stream," Helen explained as she fiddled with the cradle, her eyes the same electric blue as Kayla's as she worked on Ultron's commands.

"I can read him. He is dreaming." Wanda said as she approached the body, almost fully formed now by the cradle.

Kayla stood alert nearby, Ultron having gotten nothing from her he already knew about the Avengers, except that she was desperately in love with Captain America. Pathetic. So he relegated the President's Daughter to be a sentry. If nothing else, she was a bartering chip and a distraction.

"I wouldn't call it dreams. It's Ultron's base consciousness." Helen explained as she worked.

Wanda got closer to the cradle and placed her hands on the machine, allowing herself to dive deeper into its mind. What she saw made her scream out in anguish. Kayla made a move to grab the girl but Ultron raised his metal hand, stopping the woman.

"How could you?" Wanda spat as Pietro held her, trying to get a read on what his sister saw.

"How could I what?" Ultron asked innocently as Kayla shuffled her way toward him, standing at attention between Ultron's side and the cradle.

"You said we would destroy the Avengers. Make a better world." She answered, staring down the metal man.

"It will be better."

"When everyone is dead." It was suddenly dawning on the psychic that they weren't helping Ultron destroy the Avengers. They were helping Ultron destroy humanity.

"The human race will have every chance to evolve."

"And if they don't?" Pietro asked, and Kayla took a step closer to the pair, eyes glowing sinisterly.

"Ask Noah," Ultron answered simply.

"You're a madman." Wanda laughed slightly, finally understanding the truth of what she and her brother had helped bring to life.

"We have to evolve. There is no room for the weak." Ultron tried to explain to the twins and Pietro took over the banter from his frazzled sister.

"And who decides who's weak?" He asked as Wanda used her powers to unlock Ultron's hold on Cho. She was about to help Kayla when Ultron looked to her, so she hid her hand.

"Life. Life always decides." Ultron laughed as he caresses the cradle. Suddenly, he lifted his head, sensing something coming. "The quinjet. We have to move."

"That's not a problem," Helen stated, pausing the upload. Ultron groaned and blasted her, which caused Pietro to grab Wanda and speed off. Ultron's sentries shot the rest of Cho's staff as he called after the Maximoffs.

"They'll understand. When they see they'll understand. I just need a little more time." The metal giant mumbled as he ripped the cord out of his neck to leave. He turned to Kayla, the only human still standing. She looked up at him with her blue eyes. Ready to obey.

"Would you like me to pursue the twins?" She asked, standing alert as her empty eyes stared into his red ones.

"No. You stay with me. The Avengers are coming. I have a special job for you." Ultron sneered as his robots picked up the cradle for transport.

"Yes, sir. What will you have me do?" Kayla asked as she matched the giant's pace.

"Kill Captain America."

Steve pulled himself over the railing, telling Clint to stay close. He didn't see any movement outside the building so he made his way in quietly, but he picked up the pace when he saw the bodies and flickering equipment. Everyone had been shot.

"Doctor Cho!" He called as he found her, bleeding, but alive.

"He's uploading himself into the body. The real power is in the cradle. The gem, it's power is uncontrollable. You can't just blow it up. You have to get it to Stark."

"First we have to find it," Steve said as he looked over his shoulder, holding a towel to Cho's bleeding chest.

"Go!" She said as she gripped the towel, looking over Steve's shoulder. "Steve, they've got Kayla-"

"Then I really have to go," Steve said as he jumped to his feet, taking off before Cho could finish.

"Wait, she's not who you think she is!" She called after Captain America, but he didn't hear her. He was already gone.

After being informed by Clint that the cradle was in a truck from the lab, he flung himself off the overpass onto the truck to draw out Ultron. The plan worked, because Ultron shot open the back of the truck, and at Steve, causing the soldier to be drug along the road by the broken back door.

"He's definitely unhappy, I'm gonna try to keep him that way!" Steve explained through the comms.

"You're not a match for him, Cap," Clint answered simply.

Steve sighed, feeling the support of his teammate, "Thanks, Barton."

Ultron looked out the open back of the truck, unplugging himself from the cradle again. He walked towards the edge and sent a blast of energy at Cap, sending him flying back onto the windshield of a car. The metal monster turned towards the back of the truck, motioning towards a shadowed figure wearing a mask. "Take care of him. You know what to do."

Steve managed to swing his way back up onto the roof of the semi from a garbage truck. He stood for a moment, catching his breath, and suddenly something swung from the side of the semi, knocking him down onto his back. He looked up and saw Kayla standing above him, still wearing her uniform, but also wearing her mask.

"Kay!" Steve cried out, scrambling to his feet to embrace his girl, but as he got close, she kicked him strongly against the chest, knocking him down again. "Kay..."

"Hello baby." She cooed, stepping on his chest and keeping him down. "Did you miss me?"

"I-I don't understand-" Steve stuttered as she pinned him. Had it been anyone else, he would have grabbed them by the legs and thrown them off, but it wasn't anyone else. It was Kayla.

"I have a job to do Steve. That job is to get rid of you." She snarled as she knelt down, pinning him with her knee as the semi truck rushed through the streets of Seoul.

"Kayla, it's me! Steve!" He begged as she grabbed his neck roughly, apparently going to simply choke him to death. It was then he got a closer look behind her mask. Her eyes glowed an electric blue, not the emerald green or brown contacts she normally wore. "Barton, Romanoff, I'm gonna need some help!"

"On it!" Clint flew the quinjet closer to the truck, "What the hell is happening there?"

"I think she's being controlled... Ultron has the scepter." Steve choked out as she pressed down hard. Finally, he grabbed her hand and ripped it away fiercely, and she growled angrily at him as he kicked her away. Both stood, staring at each other for a moment. Then she lunged again, but Steve ducked out of the way. She swung quickly and his him square in the face, and he took a step back, feeling the full force of her hit.

"Cap! You gotta hit her in the head!" Clint ordered through the comms as the truck went down an alleyway. They couldn't help their Captain now.

"I can't." Steve panted, taking a double punch to the gut. She was beating him without remorse, socking him over and over again as his nose began to bleed. His brown boot reached the edge of the roof, he was going to fall. The truck was speeding through rough traffic, and he saw Kayla pull out a knife from her belt.

"HIT HER IN THE HEAD!" Clint and Natasha yelled in unison, and Kayla slinked closer to the edge, taking in the soldier.

"I know you can't control your actions, but I know from Barton that you'll remember everything once you are free of the scepter's hold. I know you'll remember me." Steve asked, hoping he could find some way to get through to her. Hoping he could find some other way to bring back his girl. Finally, after her face showed no recognition, no sympathy, he sighed. "You know I won't fight you. Finish it."

"I know. I know you won't. But I have to kill you. I have orders to follow." She sneered as she reached Steve. She grabbed him by the jaw, putting her face sinfully close, smiling a wicked smile that made Steve want to cry. His girl was gone. "Goodbye Captain." She whispered, lips dangerously close to his. She pulled her hand back, preparing to drive her weapon into his stomach and shove him off the edge.

In a moment of faith and desperation, Steve grabbed the girl quickly and used her own momentum to swing around, changing places with her, and throw her off of the side of the truck to the road below.

Steve turned away quickly, hearing the screeching breaks and the sound of crashing cars. He couldn't bear to see if she hit the cars, the road, or if she was simply run over. He couldn't face the reality of his fate: he had to let Kayla go to save the world. He had to sacrifice her for the greater good.

"Bravo Captain, I didn't think you had it in you. Less baggage for the both of us I guess." Ultron applauded as he rose up to meet Steve on the roof of the truck.

Steve threw his shield at the robot with more hatred than he'd ever felt. He hated Ultron. More than Schmidt. More than Loki. More than SHIELD. He hated Ultron because he had the audacity to use his own girlfriend to try to kill him, then was proud when Steve had to make the call to lose her. He would kill that monster if it was the last thing he did. Ultron easily deflected the shield, and Cap caught it quickly.

"You know what's in that cradle? The power to make real change and that terrifies you."

"I wouldn't call it a comfort," Steve admitted as he chucked his shield again, but just as before, Ultron threw it right back at him, knocking him off balance. Steve continued to fight until Ultron finally yelled at him to stop and chucked his shield to the ground so that Steve couldn't retrieve it. He blasted at the soldier, sending him over the front edge onto the hood where the other robots reached through the glass, trying to grab at him as he swung out of the way.

Luckily, Natasha was flying through the streets on her motorcycle, she grabbed Steve's shield and drove with it on her handlebars, dodging the pedestrians as she tried to find the tuck. When she finally made her way to the fight, Ultron had Steve by the neck.

"This would have hurt a lot less if the girl hadn't failed." Ultron threatened as he increased his grip on Steve's neck.

"You don't know pain. I'll end you for what you did to her." Natasha tossed up his shield and smashed it into Ultron's arm, causing the robot to fall and lose his grip on Steve. He pulled up the metal beneath the street, causing Nat to stop her bike abruptly.

Clint was able to draw out the guards from the back of the truck, and Natasha continued to chase the truck as it sped away. Steve threw Ultron into a pillar, and Ultron caught himself, then threw his metal body against the soldier's, catapulting both of them into a nearby train.

"Cap, I'm going in, you think you can keep him occupied?" Nat asked over the comm.

"What do you think I've been doing?" Steve panted, out of breath from being tossed around by the metal madman.

Ultron continued to punch at Steve, and the super soldier was running out of steam. The robot got in one particularly nasty punch to Cap's stomach and he winced in pain. Suddenly, a bolt of light rushed past and shoved Ultron, allowing Steve some reprieve. Pieces of the train ripped from the ceiling, cloaked in red, and Ultron couldn't reach Pietro because Wanda stood behind him, using her powers to block his way.

"Please, don't do this," Ultron begged his former companions.

"What choice do we have?" Wanda gasped at the robot, hair flying around her wildly.

Suddenly a third figure swooped in from the hole in the train, stabbing Ultron violently with a small knife before being thrown harshly against the side of the train. Her efforts were futile, but she had to show some sort of aggression toward her captor. Although she'd been flung unceremoniously against the hard wall of the train, the blonde stood boldly, blood dripping from the open wound on the side of her head. Not only was she bleeding, there appeared to be a tire mark across the front of her uniform. "That was for the mind control." Kayla snarled as she stood next to Pietro, wiping the blood away from her cheek.

Ultron sent a blast towards Pietro and Kayla, but Pietro ducked and pulled Kayla down with him, causing Ultron to blow a hole through the front of the train. This worked as a great distraction and Ultron flew out where he and Cap had broken a hole in the side. Suddenly, the train was running freely, it's driver killed in the blast.

"I lost him! He's headed your way!" Steve yelled as he leaped over the broken seats of the train, rushing towards the front.

"Cap, you see Nat?" Clint asked worriedly, looking around for Steve.

"If you have the package, get it to Stark! Go!" Steve ordered back, turning his attention to the runaway train that had just broken off the tracks. "Civilians in our path." He told Pietro, and the blonde ran from the train, faster than light itself, then Steve turned his attention to Wanda. "Can you stop this thing?"

She looked at him, unsure if she could. Kayla nodded at her reassuringly, and Wanda decided to try as she saw her brother zipping about, saving people. Steve held up his shield to take the force of a building they crashed into, but a piece of debris crashed into his shield, pushing him back into the train.

Kayla rushed to his side, holding his cheek as Wanda thrust her powers into the wheels of the train, locking them. Kayla grabbed Steve's shield and rushed to the hole in the front where he had stood, holding it up to protect the passengers of the runaway train from any more debris. Pietro continued shoving people out of the way of the train as Wanda used everything in her to bring the machine to a stop. The train took out several cars, but as they broke apart, Kayla stood steady with the shield, it was up to her to keep those behind her safe. Finally, the train slowed to a stop.

The pedestrian's rushed off the train, thankful to be alive. They wouldn't have been, had it not been for the four remarkable people there to save them.

Wanda rushed over to her panting brother, her red shawl loose around her sore arms. She placed her arms on Pietro's back to check on him, but he assured her he was fine. "I just need to take a minute." He said as he sat down.

"I'm very tempted not to give you one." Steve snapped as he jogged over to the pair.

"Steven!" Kayla barked from behind him, a stern look in her green eyes. "You'd be dead if it wasn't for them. All those people would be dead. They left Ultron." Kayla defended, giving the twins a thankful nod as Steve stared them down.

"The cradle? Did you get it?" Wanda pressed urgently, staring at Steve.

"Stark will take care of it." Steve assured them, and Kayla took her place beside the twins, brushing off the tire tracks on her uniform.

Wanda looked horrified as she said "No he won't. He will do anything to make things right."

Steve looked from the three to the sky, turning as he pushed his gloved hand to his ear, "Stark. Stark come in! Anyone on comms."

"Ultron can't tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it. Where do you think he gets that?" Wanda questioned.

Kayla raised her hand as if waiting for her turn to speak. "Are we going to talk about the fact that I got run over? And I survived? I can't decide if this is awesome or if I should kill you _now_ for throwing me off of a fucking truck!" Kayla yelled at Steve, her emotions rising as she flung her arms to the side in exasperation.

Steve Rogers broke through Captain America for a moment, and he reached out for Kayla and pulled her into a loving embrace, kissing her bleeding head as he cried weakly into her messy blonde hair. He placed his large gloved hand on the back of her head and held her tight against his chest, refusing to let her go, even in the face of human extinction.

Author's Note: Be warned, there's smut ahead! It just kind of happened, but I think it's important to the story and to these characters. Unfortunately, this means the story will now have to be M. That being said, if people would like to keep the story T, I will rewrite the scene to make it more family friendly. Obviously, most of the chapters are pretty tame, so even if the rating is M, the story is still relatively light-hearted. Follow, Favorite, and of course review! Let me know what you think of this chapter and what you would like in the future!


	36. Chapter 36

Author's Note: SMUT (Kinda) DEAD AHEAD! THIS WAS NOT THE PLAN AND I'M REALLY SORRY! But it happened, and it would have happened eventually, so here it is. Sorry the story is now rated M, but is it terrible that it was fun to write? Anyway, if you want to avoid the angsty almost smut, feel free to just skip this chapter or just the end!

"How are we going to get back to New York?" Kayla finally asked as she pulled away from Steve, looking up into his blue eyes. Eyes that had held so much fear and sadness looking at her on that truck. She never wanted him to look at her like that again. Like he couldn't bear to lose her. Like she was tearing his heart in half.

"Well, it'll be a long walk," Steve muttered, still trying to get someone to come in on comms. The line was dead. "I guess we're on our own." He turned to look at the Maximoffs. He eyed them a moment before he scoffed, "I don't suppose you two have a plane?"

"Not unless you want Ultron flying it." Wanda bit back, walking past Steve with a glare on her face. Pietro took one more long breath, then moved to follow her.

"Where are you going?" Kayla called, jogging to catch up to the witch, "Come with us!"

Her request stopped the twins, and they turned to face her. Steve sighed and walked slowly over to the blonde. Kayla reached out for Wanda, but Pietro slapped her hand away. Unfortunately, it didn't do much, Kayla's grip was stronger, and she shot him a 'really?' glance.

"You are quite strong for a girl," Pietro mumbled as he crossed his arms. Wanda just stared at Kayla's hand on her arm, not trying to escape it.

"Yeah, you know the skeletons in my closet, and I know yours. I know why you want to destroy the Avengers... because Stark inadvertently killed your family. I get it, revenge, all that fun stuff. The problem is that Ultron is going to kill _everybody_ , so revenge on Tony isn't really going to do much because we are _all_ going to be dead." Kayla hissed, looking between the speedster and the psychic. "Come on Wanda, you know you're the real power here. We need you."

"I don't want any part of this. I wanted to avenge my family. Not join the people who killed them."

"Killing Stark and the others won't bring your parents back," Kayla answered, eyeing her with a wisdom that came from her own demise. "There comes a point when you can't go back to the life you had before. It doesn't matter whose fault that is, it's gone. My life is gone, and the Avengers are my family now. Look in my head Wanda, you know the truth. Sometimes good can come from bad. This can be one of those times."

"Or it could be just like last time, and we end up dead too," Wanda answered, looking at the ground.

"What more do you have to lose?" Kayla prodded, releasing her grip on the girl. "Just think about it. We could really use you two."

"Kay, we gotta go." Steve nudged, reaching out to grab Kayla's hand. "We need to find a way back. We need to get you to Bruce, your head-"

"Not to mention my poor collarbone. And my ribs. They're broken. Again. If it wasn't for all the adrenaline I don't think I could stand... you know now that I think about it, everything hurts... real bad." Kayla started to sway, the pain finally finding its way to her brain. Her knees buckled and Steve swooped her up, carrying her bridal style in his arms. She leaned her aching head against his chest, and he set his sights toward the city.

He took a few steps back towards the lab, hoping Doctor Cho could get them some sort of transportation. Suddenly, he found his feet unable to move, and he looked down to see red smoke holding them firmly in place. He turned his head to look back at the Maximoffs, Kayla raising her head to look over his shoulder with a smile.

"We're coming with you." Pietro declared, and Wanda released her grip on Steve's boots. "She's one of us now. We need to make sure she's alright."

Steve grunted, knowing Kayla was right about needing them, but not wanting them to think of Kayla as someone like them. She was someone like him, and being under Ultron's mind control didn't make the three of them close.

The four walked through the damaged streets of Seoul, gathering attention, but Steve nor the twins looked at the news cameras as they passed. Kayla allowed her neck to go limp, resting her cheek against Steve's star, her hair draped over the side of her face, disguising her now that her mask had been discarded.

"This is taking too long, the city is too big." Wanda murmured as the crowds began to get louder, people yelling as they took the group's photo. "Pietro, run ahead to the lab. Let them know what's happened, see what they say." With a nod he zipped ahead, carrying the news of their needs. Two blocks of walking later he returned, looking over his shoulder to wave a car over to them.

"She's already called Stark. His jet should be at the airport when we arrive. Get in the car." Pietro explained, opening the backseat door for his sister. "I'll sit shotgun." He informed Steve, his thick accent making the very American words sound wrong on his lips. After Steve slid in, depositing Kayla into the middle seat between himself and Wanda, Pietro closed the door and slowly made his way to the passenger's side door. After closing the door, he motioned for the driver to go, and they made their way to a private airstrip nearby.

Wanda's skin crawled as she read the words STARK written across the small plane. The same lettering that had sat on the shell that almost killed them for days. "I can't do this. I'm sorry, I can't." She balked, and Pietro put his arm around her to provide some comfort, looking up at Steve for some sort of advice or directions.

"We don't have time, we have to go." Steve growled, but Kayla patted his arm gently, requesting to be put down. Once her feet touched the ground, she shifted her weight, feeling her ribs already beginning to heal. She walked slowly back towards the pair as Steve prepared to board the jet, seeing if there was anyone he needed to worry about seeing Kayla.

"Look, I know how you feel about Stark. I know how hard this must be for you guys. He's not a bad guy though. Misguided? Yes. Selfish. Of course. But he didn't mean to kill your family. He was trying to make money, and he quit making weapons years ago when he realized the affect they were having. Haven't you ever been wrong?" Kayla tried to get the girl to understand her perspective, even though she knew Wanda could simply read her thoughts and find out.

"We were wrong to let Strucker experiment on us. He killed all his other volunteers. We were the only two to survive." She purred back, something between pride and sadness slipping through her deep Sokovian accent.

"Then it would be a shame if your talents went to waste, wouldn't it? If nothing else, come with us, build a life in America, away from civil unrest and poverty. I'll make sure you are well taken care of, you don't have to ever see us again." Kayla promised brightly, a hopefully smile painting her perfect face.

"How is it so easy for you to leave your family and home behind? Our home is not America, it is Sokovia. Will we ever get back there?" Pietro asked sincerely, feeling the pressure from the blonde woman, but seeing it as faulty. They couldn't simply start over. Not like she had done. It was selfish.

Kayla realized what his words meant, and her smile fell like a ton of bricks. Her brows furrowed and she smoothed back her messy hair. "Suit yourself. Sometimes after becoming someone you're not, you have to adapt. I can't go home. And neither can you." With that she turned and entered the plane, coming face to face with someone who didn't know she was alive.

"Kayla Ellis." Happy murmured as he saw her, wonderment on his face. "I-I can't believe your alive. Steve gave me the heads up when he boarded, but, I still can't believe my own eyes." Kayla extended her arms to hug the man, someone she hadn't seen since before the Hydra incident.

"It's good to see you, Mr. Hogan. Now, are we about ready to take off?"

"Pilot has the jets running. We are ready when you are."

Steve and Kayla shared a glance, then she nodded without looking away from the soldier. "Let's go."

"No! Wait!" A lighting bolt ran through the plane, Quicksilver holding his hands up to stop them from leaving. "We are coming!"

Wanda walked up the plane's steps behind him, a weak smile on her face. "You guys need us." She added with a shrug, meeting Kayla's green eyes.

"Alright, let's get going. We are ready Happy." Steve informed the man, and he retreated into the cockpit to tell the pilot it was time to leave.

The twins settled themselves in the far corner of the jet, keeping away from the others. Steve didn't mind, because Happy took the hint he wanted to be alone with his girl, so the couple sat near the door of the plane, facing each other. Kayla stared out the window, her head still bloody and hair a mess. The tire track from where she'd been run over was still imprinted across her chest and arms.

"Kay, can I help you get cleaned up?" Steve asked carefully, eyeing the girl as she looked away. She turned to him, her eyes dull. They were missing the sparkle they always had.

"I'll be fine." She nodded, trying to assure Steve he didn't need to worry about her of all things, but that didn't stop him.

"Please. Let me at least help clean up your hair, check on your chest." Steve pushed again, this time reaching out for her hand. She clenched his large hand in her delicate one, but her grip was strong. She sighed deeply, then nodded a little, telling her boyfriend she'd let him help her. He stood up and led her to the plane's bathroom, avoiding the twins' curious stares as they went.

Once the door was closed and locked, Steve went about unzipping Kayla's catsuit. He was thankful Stark's bathrooms were larger than most plane's otherwise it would have been a hard task, but there was a small seat near the sink that he was able to sit on as he worked at pulling the blue suit off her bruised body. Kayla winced as he gently started pulling her uniform off her shoulders, seeing the bruising underneath for the first time. Sure enough, there was a perfect tire mark just above Kayla's breasts, turning her collarbone and upper arms a deep shade of purple. Anyone else would have died. Should have died. But she got up, brushed herself off, and came to help again. Just like Steve would have.

"Baby." Steve cooed worriedly as he rubbed his gentle hands across her bruised arms. Kayla looked in the mirror, disgust on her features. Steve turned her chin back to him, eyes full of love. "You are still so beautiful. There's a shower onboard, can I help you wash your hair?"

Kayla turned back to the mirror, her suit situated on her hips and one of her bra straps snapped off. She put a hand to her hair, realizing she couldn't even find the elastic piece holding it up anymore because it was so knotted. "Yes please." She finally responded, giving up on working on her hair, because raising her arms above her head hurt.

Steve took her blessing as an order to continue peeling her out of her suit. He was worried about her, but he couldn't help but feel his heart pick up pace seeing her half undressed. In this moment of darkness, he wanted her to give him some light. He pulled the suit over her hips down her strong thighs, never taking his eyes off of her skin as more and more appeared. When he reached her boots at her knees, he gingerly unbuckled them and stood to allow her his spot on the seat. He knelt down, taking his time in removing the boots as he had with the suit. Once the boots were removed, he finished pulling down the thick material over her calves and discarding it to the side. She stood in her tattered bra and underwear, a blush creeping into her cheeks.

It was strange, Kayla never showed much embarrassment around Steve. She was usually the one pushing him, wanting him to give her more, but always being patient. To see her feel vulnerable made Steve's breath catch in his throat, and his blood felt like fire in his veins as he stared at her.

"You should, uh, undress." Kayla stumbled, backing away from the soldier.

"What's wrong?" Steve asked bluntly, torn between wanting to understand what was happening with her and wanting to put himself inside her. He almost regretted asking, because he was scared she would make him leave, but the gentleman won over the lusty soldier that wanted her so badly.

"I tried to kill you, Steve." She whimpered, looking away. "I tried to kill you, and I felt awful. But I couldn't control it. And then you threw me at a car. Which I know you had to, but that's kind of messed up."

"I'm sorry!" Steve yelped, quickly crossing to the corner she had pressed herself into. "I didn't want to, but I had to stop Ultron's control over you. I- I had to get the cradle. I put the mission before you, and I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I tried to stab you. And choke you. And throw you off the truck." Kayla grumbled back, finally looking up at Steve, "I just feel weird. It's weird not having control of your own body. I was trapped in one part of my brain and the other part was spouting out everything I knew. I just feel, broken."

"I'll fix you."

Kayla lunged towards the soldier, placing her mouth desperately against his as she fiddled with his uniform. It wasn't as easy to get off as hers, and she moaned in frustration. "Get it off." She growled into his ear as she fell to the floor, working desperately to unbuckle his boots. Once she had the boots off, she rose to find his outer layer off, and from there she knew what to do. She grabbed hungrily at his buckle, ripping off his belt and pulling against the heavy duty zipper of his pants. She smiled wicked at how tough it was, and how a regular girl wouldn't even be able to get him out, but Kayla wasn't any regular girl.

She finished yanking off his pants as he pulled his shirt over his head. The two almost bashed heads as she went to rip off his boxers and he reached his arms behind her to unfasten the broken bra. Finally, she leaned far enough to turn on the water of the shower, giving it a moment to heat up as Steve slowly but surely pulled down her underwear, finding them both fully naked at last.

Their guilt and awkwardness from moments ago faded away as she lept to the soldier, wrapping her strong legs around his torso as he pulled her face to his in a passionate kiss. He managed to keep her head pressed against his as he opened the shower door and carried them both in, letting the water run down their bodies. Steve hadn't realized how tired he was until that moment, because the water made him feel so awake. He continued to crush his lips against her recklessly, and she held her body steady against his stomach.

He pulled away for a moment, taking her in as the water dripped down her face, washing away the blood, sweat, and tears of the past few days. "We should get you cleaned up." He whined as he began to push her down causing her to whimper desperately.

"Noooo." She complained, hating the new position of being on the ground and not wrapped around Steve. She pushed herself against him again, but being on the ground suddenly became a treat as she felt him press against her and moan. "Shhh." She scolded playfully, holding a finger to her lip as she reached down to grab at him, eliciting quiet howl from the man.

He went to grab her hand, to pull her away, but she held onto her newfound prize tightly, throwing him a vicious glare for trying to stop her from pleasuring him. He allowed his hands to fall to his side, giving her a gentle nod as permission, then he grabbed the shampoo to clean out the blonde's hair as she went to work. It became very difficult for Steve to finish his task or be a gentleman, and he finally gave up and slammed her against the side of the shower, causing her to laugh loudly.

"Shhh! Now you are being the loud one!" He hissed, shaking his head to get her to stop, but she just went back to what she had been doing, and his head rolled back at the feeling.

"I've waited so damn long for this." She stared up into Steve's lusty blue eyes, shampoo falling from her head onto her cheek. She swiveled them around so her head was under the water and she leaned back, allowing the soap to be washed away. Steve tried to get back to his mission and started gently rubbing the gash on her head, but Kayla had a mission of her own, and she wasn't leaving this plane until she'd finished it.

"Do you want to-" Steve started, breathing heavily. The sensation was hell on his body, and he wanted to burn the polar ice caps that kept him from experiencing such a thing earlier.

"No. Not here. Not like this." Kayla answered quickly, staring at Steve with wide green eyes, "I want it to be special. But you've had a hard week."

"I threw you off a truck." Steve gasped, placing one strong hand against the side of the shower. The hot water was beginning to run out, and it was becoming cold.

"It was pretty sexy actually," Kayla whispered, licking his ear as she did. Steve finally understood why Kayla was always so hungry for sex. He knew at that moment that he couldn't live in famine anymore. He'd had his appetizer and it only made him hungrier for the main course.

"You were loud as hell," Kayla informed the panting soldier, opening the glass door to step onto the mat. The plane hit some slight turbulence and she almost lost her balance. Almost.

"I-" Steve was redder than a tomato, and had no words. Breathing was hard at that moment. He was equal parts embarrassed and liberated, and he couldn't help but think that this had started innocently enough. At least her head had been cleaned up.

"It's fine. I didn't mind." She winked, grabbing a towel from the plane's bathroom cabinet, then throwing the second one at Steve. He toweled off, then reached towards the floor to grab his boxers as he left the shower. His face stayed red as he dressed, leaving only his undershirt on with his pants and boots. He could finish getting ready when they got closer to the Tower. He then went to work helping Kayla back into her suit, as her arms were sore and it was tight. Steve cursed Tony Stark for making such a tight suit for his woman when he was just now coming down from the high that she gave him.

With a swift zip, Kayla was dressed, and she ran her fingers through her wet hair as she swung the door open, walking confidently out of the steamy bathroom back into the jet. Steve's face turned two shades darker when he saw the horrified look on Wanda's face and the stupid smirk on her brother's. Happy's eyebrows were sky high as he looked at his magazine, trying hard not to look at the couple.

When Kayla saw Wanda's expression, she simply shrugged and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "What? Wouldn't you?"


	37. Chapter 37

The jet landed near Avengers Tower, and Happy drove the limo as quickly as he could without getting pulled over. The group sat in silence. Kayla had a smirk on her face as she looked around at the uncomfortable people, but Steve was able to push his feeling to the back of his mind for the time being, focusing wholly on the problem before them.

Wanda looked out the window of the car as it moved through the streets of New York. They arrived at a tall building with a giant A at the top. "So this is it? This is the Avengers?" She spat, disgusted by the lavish display of power.

"We need to hurry. Stark has the cradle, we have to make sure he and Banner are working on destroying the body." Steve explained as Happy stopped the car, and the soldier lept from the backseat, leaving the door open for the others to follow. Once they entered the building through the garage, Steve started sending the elevator to the lab floor, tapping his foot impatiently as it moved.

Finally, the doors dinged, and through the glass, Steve could see Tony working on a computer and Bruce at the cradle. Definitely not destroying it.

"I'm gonna say this once..." Steve started, standing at the head of the room, looking between the two men.

"How bout nonce," Tony responded bitterly, already knowing Steve was about to shut him down.

"Shut it down," Steve ordered, and Banner looked up at him suspiciously. "You don't know what you're doing."

"And you do? She's not in your head?" Banner motioned to Wanda accusingly, his jaw tight with suppressed anger.

"I know you're angry..." She started, taking a step out from behind Steve to face the man she'd wronged.

"No, we're way past that." Bruce told her, staring at her lightly, "I could choke the life out of you and never change a shade."

"Don't talk to her like that. We've all made mistakes. We've all done things we aren't proud of, I tried to kill Steve." Kayla came out from behind the soldier, crossing in front of him to stand in front of Wanda. "They are here to help us defeat Ultron. We can't do it without them."

"Yes, we can, with this!" Tony snapped, walking around frantically working on the cradle.

"What happened to you?" Bruce asked, looking Kayla up and down and taking in the gash on her head and the tracks across her chest. "Did you get run over?"

"Yeah, by a Kia, so I'd really appreciate it if we could all just get along!" Her voice raised with her words, her own temper rising as she faced off against Banner.

Steve and Tony started bickering and Wanda tried to cry out, getting them to understand the power of the stone within the cradle.

Pietro rolled his eyes and zipped around, unplugging all the cords and effectively stopping the upload from happening. He stood there as alarms went off around him, warning the two scientists that the upload was failing. "No no. Go on. You were saying." He urged, now that their work was crumbling apart. Suddenly his eyes focused in, and a bullet flew up through the floor, shattering the glass he was standing on causing him to fall below the lab. Wanda cried out for her brother, but Kayla caught her as she lunged forward, not letting the girl get into the fight.

"I'm rerouting the upload," Tony told Bruce and turned to his computer, but Cap threw his shield into it, destroying most of the lab's computers as it flung around the room. Tony called his Iron Man hand, and blasted Steve, sending him flying back. Kayla, in turn, jumped over the cradle to get to the billionaire, but he blasted her too, sending her crashing into the machine violently, knocking it around even more as her dense body hit it.

Bruce grabbed Wanda by the neck, and Kayla turned her attention to the psychic, not going to allow the Hulk to decapitate her. She pushed her self away from the cradle, barely missing another blast from the Iron Man suit. She slid to a stop in front of Bruce, not wanting to push him farther to the edge.

"Go ahead, piss me off." Banner threatened as he grasped her shoulder tightly, keeping her arm around her neck. Wanda's eyes were wide with fear, knowing what the man could do.

Steve had gotten up and flung himself at Tony, punch the arc reactor of the suit just as Tony blasted from it, causing them both to fly backward. Steve was flung out of the lab, and Kayla looked between the girl and the soldier, unsure of who needed more help. Wanda used the distraction to push a blast of power through her own body at Bruce, loosening his hold on her enough for her to turn around and push him away with the red magic. Kayla stayed by her side though, protecting her as Tony scrambled to get back up from the glass he shattered.

Thor slid into the lab, seeing the fight. He had a determined look on his face as he charged towards the cradle, jumping up onto it. Kayla blocked Wanda from the blonde, unsure if his rage would become directed at her.

"No! Wait!" Bruce cried out as Thor summoned electricity from the lab into his hammer, then sent it flying into the cradle, bringing the creature to life. The body crashed up through the cradle, sending Thor hurtling backward.

The red body with the glowing yellow stone knelt on the cradle for a moment, looking around at the team. Thor looked up from the floor at it, scrambling to regain his footing slowly. Tony hid behind a monitor, ready to attack if it wasn't friendly. Wanda stared up at it in wonder, and Kayla turned her head over her shoulder to look at the witch like she was crazy. Perhaps she was bonded to it since her powers were born from the stone as well.

The thing looked around and finally set its sights on Thor, flying at him with terrifying speed. Thor grabbed it though, and flung it over his shoulder, sending it through the glass into the party deck, where it stopped itself before hitting the glass to the outside world. It stared at its own reflection for a moment.

Thor was the first to arrive on the scene, followed by Cap flinging himself over the railing. Thor held up his hand to the Captain, telling him to wait and see what the creature's intentions were. Steve watched it carefully hang in the air, looking over New York. He created clothes for himself, a grey scaley suit, then floated his way down to the group.

Kayla arrived with Wanda and Bruce, Tony having beat them to the deck. Pietro zipped his way to join them, stopping in his tracks when he saw the creature for the first time. Kayla made her way over to Steve, standing behind him with her hand supportively on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, that was...odd. Thank you." The creature thanked Thor, creating a golden cape to match Thor's red one.

"Thor." Steve accused, "You helped create this?"

"I've had a vision. A whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life and at the center is that. The mind stone. It's one of the six infinity stones, the greatest power in the universe. Stark is right." Thor interrupted as Steve began to ask why he brought it here.

"Ohhh, it really is the end times." Bruce moaned quietly.

"Steve?" Kayla whimpered behind him, seeing something bigger looming before them. Infinity Stones. Greatest Power in the Universe? Her universe was studying chemistry and the craziest thing she'd dealt with was the super soldier serum. This, this was beyond that. It was even beyond Ultron.

"The Avengers cannot defeat Ultron," Thor stated simply, defending the creature.

"Not alone." It added.

Steve and Tony walked towards it, Steve eyeing it carefully as he looked at the body. "Why does your vision sound like Jarvis?"

Tony explained that he'd used Jarvis to create something new, but Steve scoffed at the idea, and Kayla furrowed her brow in frustration. Her soldier could be so pig headed sometimes, and she was getting tired of his pessimism. Steve turned to look at her, a betrayed look on his face, but she simply motioned for him to continue. "I think I've had my fill of new." He bit back, seeing that he was the only one opposing this new Vision.

"You think I'm a child of Ultron?"

"You're not?" Steve accused him, and Vision turned to face the soldier.

"I'm not Ultron. I'm not Jarvis either. I am." Vision tried to explain, but Wanda took her turn to inspect him.

"I looked in your head and I saw annihilation." She incriminated, feeling no fear toward the creature before her.

"Look again." He told her easily, meeting her eyes gently.

"Their powers, the horrors in our heads, Ultron himself, they all came from the Mind Stone." Thor advocated for his decision, and Kayla turned to face Vision.

"That thing in your head, it gave the twin's their powers. Do you understand why we saw what we saw? Do you understand why she knows me?" Kayla gestured to the brunette woman, and both girls stared at Vision with baited breath. Kayla needed to know why she saw Steve dying, and Wanda needed to know why Kayla's voice haunted her dreams. Whether or not the twins and Vision were tethered, one thing was certain. Wanda and Kayla were now.

"Her powers may have come from the stone, but her power is quite different from mine. I don't know your dreams. And I don't know how you know each other." Vision answered simply as Thor continued to fight for the android.

"Is it? Are you? On our side?" Steve asked Vision, to see if he would turn against them as Ultron had. The mind stone had taken Kayla's mind, and Barton's before, how did they know this creature wouldn't turn them against each other. How did they know he wouldn't control them.

Vision looked from the Captain to the other Avengers. "I'm on the side of life. Ultron isn't. He will end it all. He's waiting for you." Vision looked to Stark.

"He's in Sokovia, he's got Nat there too." Clint added, answering the question of where the robot was plotting.

"If you aren't on our side if you are the monster that Ultron made you to be." Bruce stood up to the android threateningly, twisting his hand in his palm the way he did when he was trying to stay calm.

"What will you do?" Vision asked, but Bruce did not answer. Vision saw his threat as Steve waited with bated breath, watching them interact. "I don't want to kill Ultron. He's unique, and he's in pain. But that pain will roll over the Earth, so he must be destroyed. We must act now, and not one of us can do it without the others." He turned to Steve, telling the soldier that they needed him. "There may be no way for you to trust me, but we need to go." Vision turned, handing Thor his hammer.

The team stood there, disbelief taking over their emotions. Stark was impressed, Banner confused. Steve looked worriedly at Thor who just looked at his hammer, not believing his eyes. Kayla stifled a happy laugh, her hand jetting to cover her mouth as she contained her joy. He was good. And he was going to help them. Thor took the Mjolnir, then his eyes scanned the room of his teammates, confusion on his face as Vision casually walked away. "Alright." He said, then began to follow the android. "Well done." He added to Tony with a pat on the shoulder.

Steve turned to the team, "Three minutes. Get what you need."

"Can we make it five?" Kayla asked as she raised her hand.

"Three minutes," Steve repeated to the girl, and she smiled wickedly as everyone scattered to get ready. She walked towards the soldier as he watched them go, putting her hand on his strong shoulder.

"You disobeying orders again Ellis?" He asked, keeping his jaw tight but his lips betrayed him as they tweaked up into a smile.

"Always Captain. Always." She murmured as she reached up to kiss him gently.

"We have to go Kay." He whispered into her kiss, cradling the back of her neck gently. "You should stay here."

"What?" She pulled away, disgusted at his suggestion. "I'm not staying while you go to Sokovia.

"You are hurt. I hurt you. I can't risk you getting hurt again." He argued, releasing his grip on the woman.

"But I have to help. I got the twins to come, if they are going, so am I!"

"Why are you so protective of her?" Steve asked suddenly, the question coming out more bitter than he had planned.

Kayla stood a little taller, taking a step back. "Because we are connected somehow. She knows me, and I need to know how. And because they are kids Steve. You can't drag teenagers into a war and be selfish enough to leave your girlfriend behind."

"I'm not strong enough Kayla. We both know this is my life, but it doesn't have to be yours. I could get you a home, in Brooklyn or on a farm. We could have a family like Clint and Laura and I'd know you are safe."

Kayla looked up at him, her head tilted and eyes squinty, "Who's Laura?"

Steve's eyebrows shot up in realization and he had to backpedal to explain what she'd missed, "Clint's married. He's got a wife named Laura and two kids, Cooper and Lila. They have a farm somewhere secret. Off the books. They are safe. I want that with you."

"I imagine it's very lonely knowing her husband could die any day," Kayla said thoughtfully, looking at Steve's hands as he held her own. "I don't think I could do that. I don't think I could be left behind, even if you are doing this for the greater good."

"How about a compromise? You come to Sokovia today, and you think about my offer?" Steve bartered, knowing he wouldn't win, and it had been over two minutes.

"Deal." She sealed it with a kiss, then they turned when they heard Stark clearing his throat behind them.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I couldn't help but notice the tire tracks. I made you back up suits if you'd like to wear one?" Tony offered, gesturing back towards his lab.

Kayla turned to Steve, smile on her face, "I better go change."

She followed Stark to the lab and Steve made his way to the quinjet. "Tony!"

"Yeah Kayla?"

"I understand why your vision upset you so much." Kayla informed the man, and he turned to face her as he reached a closet filled with Avenger's suits. "I had one of my own, and, and it was awful. I never told your secret. I just wanted you to know that I get it. But just because its a vision doesn't mean it comes true! I was supposed to kill Steve under Ultron's mind control and I didn't. So my vision didn't come true. And yours won't either." She explalined optimistaclly as Tony pulled out a brand new suit for her, identical to the one she was wearing.

He didn't smile, or laugh, or acknowledge her comfort in anyway. He just turned to her, face expressionless, "You better get changed. We have to go."


	38. Chapter 38

Clint flew the quinjet to Sokovia as Steve explained the plan to the rest of the team. Draw out the citizens of Sokovia, get them to safety. Find Nat. Find what Ultron has been building. Destroy Ultron and every last metal soldier that serves him.

The Maximoff twins went to work herding the people out of the city, Wanda using her mind powers to tell the people of the danger coming and Pietro alerting the police that they needed to clear the city immediately.

Thor and Banner broke their way into the Hydra base they had infiltrated before, looking for Natasha and any clues as to what Ultron was planning. Hawkeye watched from the roof as the people evacuated the city in droves. So far, everything was working according to plan. Steve and Kayla helped on the ground, trying to hurry up the evacuation process. They were running out of time.

Tony went looking for Ultron, and Vision stayed close behind as backup. Stark found Ultron in the church, in the center of the city, twice the size he was before. A true metal monster to behold.

"Steve, you hearing this?" Kayla asked as Tony found the rest of the vibranium in the church, while Ultron threatened him.

Suddenly, an army of Iron Legion robots appeared from the side of the bridge, shooting at pedestrians. Steve started beating them with his shield and Clint shot arrows into them while Kayla and Wanda started herding the screaming crowd away from the bridge. One robot's arm turned into a ray gun, and Wanda threw up a shield to protect the group of pedestrians behind her. "Go! Run!" She turned to the blonde girl beside her, hair blowing wildly across her face, "You too"

"I'm not leaving you!" Kayla fought, standing beside Wanda as she kept her shield up, but a direct hit from the robot brought her to the ground and Kayla scooped up the brunette and carried her around the corner quickly. Wanda breathed heavily as she nodded her head in a silent thanks. "I may not be as fast as your brother, but I'm still a hell of a lot faster and stronger than you. I'm not leaving you." Kayla protested again as more robots came after them, and Wanda pushed them away with her power. One came from behind the women, and Kayla roundhouse kicked it hard, knocking its head off its hinges.

"Okay, you can stay." Wanda agreed and the two stood back to back as more of the Iron Legions began to chase after the people of Sokovia. Kayla lunged into action, doing a front flip over a dead Volkswagon and landing on top of two robots, crushing them into the ground beneath her boots. She turned back to Wanda, who was ripping them apart with her power, red smoke wisping from her fingers to their circuits, destroying them in mass.

Suddenly, the ground itself shook beneath their feet, and a crack formed between the two girls. The side Wanda was on began to shiver longer and lift slightly out of the ground. Kayla followed the track of the crack as it continued running through the city. After a few moments, she could clearly see that the city was beginning to float into the air. Ultron was lifting the city. _Ultron was lifting up the city!_

And she was on solid ground. The city was floating and she was safe on the ground. She could hear people screaming as it lifted, the ground now waist high. She shared a panicked look with Wanda, but then Wanda blasted her away, sending her farther from the floating city. She was keeping the blonde away. For a moment, Kayla thought it was a blessing, the flying city was way beyond her. But then it hit her, what if the people never came down from that city?

Ultron was lifting the city... to crash it down? To destroy the Earth? But the Avengers wouldn't let that happen...they'd fix it... they'd find a way...they would blow up the city. They would blow up the city! With them on it.

Steve was on that flying rock, and he may never come back down. Wanda was trying to save Kayla's life, but her life was above her now, and she wasn't going to let it die without her.

She stood quickly, backed up a few paces, then ran as fast as she could, leaping from the solid ground to the floating city. She grabbed onto the rock, pulling herself up as it continued to rise. She slipped a little, and almost lost her grip, but a hand jutted from a red jacket, pulling her up.

"What are you doing? Why didn't you leave when you had the chance?" Wanda cried out, upset that the girl came back after she tried to save her.

"I'm not leaving Steve and the others. That includes you." Kayla answered, wiping the dust off her suit. "I have to go. I have to find him." Kayla darted off, running fast, but a blur of light passed on her left, crashing into any robots that were coming her way.

Kayla found Steve still standing on the bridge where she and Wanda had first evacuated all the citizens. One of the Iron Legion robots socked Steve hard from the underside of the bridge, knocking him violently against a car where Kayla slid to a stop beside him, grabbing his arm to help him up.

"Cap, ya got incoming," Tony warned through the comms as Steve pulled himself up, his super soldier body aching from the impact.

"Incoming already came in." Steve groaned as Kayla pulled him out of the windshield, wiping off his uniform as well. He groaned as he looked around, seeing the robots attacking the citizens and hearing the screams of chaos around him. "Stark, you worry about bringing the city back down safely. The rest of us have one job: tear these things apart. You get hurt, hurt em back. You get killed... walk it off." He decided on, shrugging as Kayla's eyebrow raised questioningly. "What?" he said outside the comm, "I have to inspire them."

Kayla smiled up at the soldier, ducking as a robot flew towards them and Steve smashed it with his shield. "Thanks, honey. I'm inspired." Out of the corner of her eye, Kayla saw the bridge began to give away, and there were people still in their cars. She darted from Steve and he chased after her, throwing his shield onto his back as he skid to a stop, grabbing onto the bumper of a cherry red convertible as Kayla was pulling on a black car next to it.

The bumper of the convertible snapped off and the car went plummeting to the ground, the woman in it screaming. The ground crumbled beneath the black car that Kayla was holding onto. As the car fell down, family screaming inside, Kayla was pulled down with it.

"NO!" Steve screamed as he looked over the edge, about to jump off after her when Thor went flying by, grabbing the woman out of the cherry red car, tossing her up to Steve. Steve let himself fall a little, grabbing onto the underside of the bridge to catch the woman. "I got you. Just look at me!" He tried to comfort the sobbing woman before hoisting himself and her up so she could crawl back onto solid ground. As the woman ran away, a robot came towards the edge but found Steve's shield embedded into its chest. As it short-circuited, Ultron's voice was heard through the robot, "You can't save them all. You'll never-"

Steve used the magnetic cuffed on his gloves to pull his shield towards him, throwing the robot off the edge. "I'll never what? You didn't finish!" Steve mocked, then knelt down, letting the weight of the battle affect him for just a moment. Thor had never come back with the family in the black car. If they didn't make it, Kayla didn't make it. But his girl was the most resilient woman he'd ever met, and he wasn't going to give up hope on her yet.

Suddenly the black car crashed to the street beside him and Thor landed on the roof, clutching Kayla in his muscular arm. "I think I have something of yours." He joked as he hopped down, releasing the girl to run into her soldier's arms. He picked her up and twirled her quickly, setting her down and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

The pair then followed Thor deeper into the city, where Hulk and Black Widow were tearing the robots apart. In an open field near the hospital, Thor and Steve worked together to destroy robots as people ran by, lasers, bullets, and explosions all around. Steve lowered his shield, allowing Kayla to use it as a spring to kick the robots harder, crunching them beneath the force of her boots. On their own, they couldn't hold a candle to Thor, Hulk, and Tony. But as a pair, the couple was something much stronger.

Ultron took out Thor himself, seeing the demi-god as the greatest threat. This left Steve and Kayla surrounded by robots who were attacking them without mercy.

"We are all clear over here," Clint advised through the comms.

"We are not clear! We are very not clear!" Steve yelled as he bounced his shield off of a robot, kicking the shield through its head to decapitate it. Kayla double kicked a robot, then finally elbowed it in the neck, loosening the head before Steve threw his shield at it, finishing the job.

Steve retrieved his shield, then threw it to impale a robot harassing Romanoff who ripped it out and used it to protect herself from the robot's blasts. Kayla came from behind the robot and bashed it against the shield, then Nat threw the shield back to Steve who delivered the final blow.

"So, I've been thinking, I need a shield. Or a gun. Or a knife. Really anything would be awesome because my feet hurt from kicking." Kayla complained as she leaned over panting between Steve and Nat. "Maybe one of those glowy sticks you've got, they seem pretty neat."

"The next wave is gonna hit any minute. Stark, what have you got?" Steve asked into his comm. Kayla pressed into her ear, but her comm was broken, so she pulled it out, waiting for Steve to answer Stark so she could figure out what was happening. "I asked for a solution, not an escape plan."

Natasha turned to Steve, eyes sad, "Cap, these people are going nowhere. If Stark finds a way to blow this rock-"

"Not until everyone's safe."

"Everyone up here versus everyone down there? There's no math there." Natasha argued, trying to get through Steve's stubbornness.

"I'm not leaving this rock with one civilian on it." Steve countered, glancing at Kayla, who looked desperate.

"I didn't say we should leave," Natasha told them, and the couple turned to face her. "There are worse ways to go."

"Yeah. Like getting killed by your own work. Or getting run over." Kayla added, nudging Steve playfully.

"Where else are we gonna get a view like this?" Nat smiled at Kayla and Steve looked between the two girls.

"Glad you like the view Romanoff, it's about to get a bit better." A voice came through Steve and Nat's comms, causing Kayla to look between them in confusion until a hellicarrier appeared before them.

"Fury, you son of a bitch!" Steve cheered happily, putting a strong arm around Kayla and pulling her close.

"Oooh, you kiss your mother with that mouth?"Fury mocked. Nat watched as Steve pulled Kayla into a deep kiss, but it only lasted a moment, because she pushed him away and started motioning the people of Sokovia to board the lifeboats.

After a few minutes of ushering people onto the flying boats, Steve stopped suddenly, pushing against his ear before turning to Kayla, "We need to get to the core. The church in the center of the city!" Steve called as he took off running, Kayla right on his heels leaving Natasha behind.

Iron Man, Vision, Thor, and Quicksilver were the first ones at the core. Steve somersaulted in, taking out a robot as he did, followed closely by Kayla who he tossed his shield to. She threw it quickly and destroyed two more robots before Steve brought it back to his wrist. The couple moved closer to the core, Kayla examining it quickly.

"So this is it? This is what destroys the world?" Kayla muttered as Natasha ran into the church, followed closely by the Hulk.

As Ultron lowered himself to the ground, Thor approached the robot yelling, "Is that the best you can do?"

Ultron raised a hand and thousands of robots appeared behind him, about to attack the Avengers. Ultron spreading his arms wide as the team balked in fear.

Steve sighed, shooting Thor an annoyed glance, "You had to ask."

"All of you, against all of me. How could you possibly think you could stop me?" Ultron asked.

"Well, as the old man said," Tony looked to Steve in his suit, "Together."

As the Avengers were attacked by thousands of Ultron's robots, Steve and Kayla shared a nod, a silent 'I love you' and prepared to fight Ultron.


	39. Chapter 39

After fighting off the robots, the Avengers were allowed a brief moment of peace before having to move again. Steve looked to Kayla and pushed his hand to his ear, pushing in his comm, "We gotta move out. Even I can tell the air is getting thin. You guys get to the boats, I'll sweep for stragglers, I'll be right behind you."

"No, no I'm not leaving you." She shook her head, but Steve put his hands on her shoulders, nodding towards Natasha and Clint.

"Please, Kayla, go."

"I'll protect it, it's my job," Wanda said behind the pair to Clint. Kayla and Steve turned their attention to the brunette as she convinced her brother to go get the people to the boats while she waited with the core.

Much like Kayla didn't want to leave Steve, Pietro didn't want to leave Wanda, so Kayla came up with a compromise. "I'll stay with Wanda. Help her protect the core. Two's better than one right?" Kayla shrugged, then grabbed Steve's shield from his hand, smashing it into the head of a robot that got too close for comfort. She handed Steve his shield back, and the soldier opened his mouth to protest, but he didn't have any reason to make Kayla leave while Wanda stayed, so he agreed silently with a squeeze of her hand, running off to look for civilians.

Wanda looked to Pietro expectantly, wanting him to take off and help Steve. The blonde man looked at her skeptically, "You know, I'm twelve minutes older than you."

"Go." Wanda laughed lightly as the girls each took a side of the core, occasionally Wanda pushed away a robot with her power. Kayla was more there for moral support, knowing it would be easier and faster for her to simply warn Wanda with her heightened senses.

"You know there's a good chance we don't get out of here alive?" Wanda finally asked, blasting away a robot who wandered into the church.

"Steve and Pietro won't leave without us. And if they don't make it, I don't want to either." Kayla told the brunette bravely, looking over her shoulder before warning her, "Upper right!"

Wanda sliced the robot in half, allowing the broken metal to fall before them. Kayla heard a quinjet flying above them, and she looked to the sky. "I don't understand?" She mumbled and she heard the guns from the quinjet shooting. "No no no!" She ran to the massive hole in the church, watching in terror as the jet shot down to where the rest of the Avengers had headed to load up the civilians.

The gun stopped firing, and Kayla turned to see Wanda stood by the core, a breathless look on her face. Kayla had been so focused on the quinjet she hadn't noticed all the robots making their way into the church, about to overtake the psychic at the core. They didn't get the chance though.

Wanda's breathless expression quickly turned into heavy breathing and the girl let out an anguished wail. As she fell to her knees, her red power thrust out from her, destroying all of the robots into a cloud of black dust and throwing Kayla violently away from the church.

Kayla pulled herself to her feet, her knees and arms quaking violently after all the fighting. She stumbled back into the church, but Wanda was already gone. "Wanda!" She yelled and heard a voice from behind her sneer.

"You were wrong Kayla. I did have more to lose."

Kayla turned, but the psychic used a force field to throw the super soldier back again, sending her closer to where the rest were evacuating. This time, as Kayla stood, she understood the girl's wishes. She wanted to be alone.

 _I can't protect the core without her. It's time._

Kayla took off to warn Steve the care was unprotected, and that they had to get off the flying rock. Now.

Steve sprinted over to Clint who checked the man's pulse, but Quicksilver was, in fact, dead, having taken the bullet's for Barton so he could live. Steve knelt down and scooped up Pietro's body, carrying it back to the lifeboat. Steve's heart sunk at the sight of the boy, too young to have died for their cause. Too young to have sacrificed himself. He didn't even know Clint had a family, that he had a wife and children, and a baby on the way. Pietro saved his life because he knew it was right. But Steve couldn't help but wish it had been him instead of Maximoff. Steve couldn't help but feel tremendous guilt as he carried the body, knowing he jumped out of the way while Pietro and Clint both prepared to take the bullets from the quinjet.

"Steve!" Kayla called, rushing towards the soldier. She skid to a stop when she saw what he was holding, a silent scream escaping her lips. She understood what had happened to Wanda, and she couldn't fix it. She'd convinced the twins to help. And now he was dead, and Wanda was... gone.

"Kayla, get on the boat," Steve ordered. It wasn't friendly, and it wasn't up for discussion. Kayla walked next to Cint, who was carrying a young boy in his arms. After letting the boy go, Clint wandered over to the bench next to where Steve had laid Pietro. Kayla stood nearby, her eyes scanning the empty landscape for her friend. She watched Steve as he looked around, not finding anyone left on the floating city. Kayla smiled weakly as a mangy dog ran onto the boat, reaching to pet it as it scampered after it's owners.

Suddenly, the city was falling and Kayla was screaming at Steve as he leaped from the ground to the edge of the lifeboat. Kayla grabbed at the shoulder of his uniform, pulling him roughly away from the edge as he leaned over to watch the city plummet to the Earth. Kayla kept a death grip on him, but leaned over as well to watch holes start to form throughout the city. Suddenly, lightning flashed around the top from Mjolnir, and she knew Stark was lighting up the core. And from the destruction flew Vision, carrying Wanda.

She let out a joyous screech, shaking Steve's shoulder joyfully that they had disintegrated Sokovia and saved the world. Vision flew Wanda up to the boat, and Kayla stood to greet the girl, running over to them as Vision set her down. She held the girl's face for a moment, wiping away tears. "Wanda...Wanda don't go over there." Kayla warned, keeping the brunette's eyes from facing her brother's corpse. "Wanda listen... he died a hero. He saved Clint and that little boy." Kayla pointed to a boy Wanda knew very well, someone who Pietro cared about very much, and the tears began to flow harder from her face as she wrapped her arms around Kayla for the first time.

Kayla pat her back timidly, not sure how to comfort the girl, but she would try. She had to try.

Steve wandered over to the girls and Vision took off from the lifeboat as it made its way back to the Helicarrier. Wanda watched him go for a moment, but kept her arms wrapped around Kayla as she sobbed. Kayla embraced her tightly, carefully not to hurt the mourning girl, but strong enough to keep her where she was. She had to protect Wanda from reality. She was alone.

As the boat attached to the Helicarrier, Steve quickly moved to collect Pietro. Kayla had worked so hard to keep Wanda from seeing him the least he could do was make sure when she did finally see him, he wasn't discarded on the ground.

Kayla guided Wanda off the lifeboat, they were greeted by Maria Hill who collected them and took them inside to clean up.

When Steve returned from passing off the Maximoff to the medical team, he found thousands of Sokovian citizens weeping as they left the boats. They crowded into the inside of the Helicarrier, searching for family members and friends that had gotten separated. Panic and chaos were all around Captain America. They may have saved the people, but what did they do now?

He gently pressed his hand to his ear, tuning into his comm, "Avengers, assemble on the bridge, is there anyone not on board?"

"Banners gone." Romanoff answered sadly, pain aching in her voice as she gave the update. "He took off in a quinjet after getting Ultron out of it. Stealth mode. We'll have to wait for the big guy to simmer down so we can find him."

"Thor and Stark still aren't back yet. There's not many of us to assemble Cap." Clint added over the comm.

"Half hour. If they still aren't back by then we go looking for them." Steve ordered, staring into the crowd before him.

Meanwhile, Maria Hill left the two girls in a recovery room after Kayla shooed away the doctors wanting to take a look at them. Wanda had become lethargic, staring at the empty wall. She didn't cry. She didn't speak. Kayla worried that she could give herself visions, and she feared that Wanda could see into her mind, that the witch could pull the memory of Steve holding her dead brother right out of Kayla's brain.

"I ripped his heart out."

Kayla turned to stare at the brunette, eyes wide as she tried to figure out who Wanda killed.

"What?" Kayla finally asked when no one came to mind.

"Ultron. He fell into a train, and I found him. I ripped out his center with my power so he'd feel what I felt." Wanda elaborated, turning to look at Kayla, "We never should have come with you."

"I know." Kayla admitted, staring at her boots as the swung from the medical bed she was sitting on. "I know, and I can't apologize enough. This is my fault."

"If we hadn't helped Ultron get the vibranium, he would have never made it back to Sokovia. If we hadn't sought revenge, we would have never left to begin with. The Avengers May have created Ultron, but I put that vision into Stark's head and I let him take the scepter. Revenge brought me here, to loose everything. The Avengers saved everyone. Pietro died an Avenger." Wanda tilted back her head, a sob threatening to escape, and Kayla wrapped a strong arm around the girl again.

"You were both very brave. There would have been a lot more death without you."

"And I will use my power to help people. I am an Avenger now." Wanda said thoughtfully, wiping her snot away on her hand. Kayla grabbed her other hand, holding it supportively. The two shared a look, then fell back into comfortable silence on the busy Helicarrier.

Kayla led Wanda back to where the Sokovians were being given blankets and water by the few agents Fury had scrounged up. Wanda found the woman and her little brother that Pietro had saved and the woman grasped a Wanda desperately, aplogizing and thanking her.

Kayla left Wanda with her friends, making her way towards the large doors that led to the rest of the Helicarrier. An agent who didn't recognize her stopped her.

"Restricted access only. We are asking you all to stay here until we get somewhere safe." She said kindly, but sternly.

"I'm with the Avengers." Kayla argued, gesturing to her suit.

"I don't recognize you. Who are you?" The agent answered, still not allowing Kayla to pass. She squinted her eyes, taking in the blonde with a tilt to the head, "Although you do look a little familiar..."

"She's a ghost." Hill informed the guard, gesturing for the woman to stand aside. "And she's coming with me."

Maria led Kayla through the dark alleys of the mostly empty Helicarrier towards the rest of the team. It was a skeleton crew running the ship, but they'd saved everyone they could. Not everyone, but who they could.

"Thanks for coming to get me." Kayla stated as she easily kept pace with the agent.

"Of course. She was about to recognize you, hope you don't mind I made something up."

"I mean, I am a ghost. I am dead, after all." Kayla shrugged as Maria led her through two automatic doors to the bridge. Kayla had never been inside the Helicarrier before. It was spectacular.

Nick Fury stood at the helm of the boat. "Speaking of ghosts." She murmured as she approached the group standing around him. "I heard I wasn't the only one back from the dead."

Thor was soaked, having fallen into a lake nearby as the debris fell. Tony was already out of his suit, looking relatively unscathed compared to the rest of he team. Natasha had a distant look on her eye as Clint stood silently nearby. Bruce was nowhere to be found.

Away from the team though, standing against the railing looking at the clouds was Captain America. He was caked in dirt and sweat, a dark smear across his chiseled jawline. His gloved hands gripped the railing as he stared away from the team, something Kayla hadn't seen him do before.

"Hey Captain." She greeted as she sidled up beside the man, taking in the view with him. "We won."

"Yeah, but what did it cost?" Steve asked, hanging his head.

"Sometimes people have to die to save the world." Kayla said, tone serious as she leaned forward to meet his eyes.

"Nobody would have died if we hadn't created Ultron."

"People die every day Steve. You can't save everybody."

Steve turned to face his girlfriend. Ultron had said that. It was haunting coming from her mouth.

"Maybe not. But I can't imagine the Avengers will get away free after this one. Aliens. That's one thing, but a killer robot bent on destroying the human race? We created that monster ourselves."

"We'll figure it out. Together." Kayla grabbed his hand as Tony called over to them.

"If you two could stop canoodling that would be great, we have some plans to make!"

"What plans?" Steve asked as his girl led him to the group.

"A new headquarters. Somewhere a little more discreet. Out of the way. New homes for everyone. Training facility. Cinnabon. Science center. For more than just us. We are opening up the Avengers team. And I'm stepping down." Tony explained clasping his hands together to confirm his decision.

Steve gave a firm nod, staring at the billionaire. "You sure about this?"

"Of course. I still own a company. And I'll always be Iron Man."

"Where will the base be?"

"Upstate New York. I've got an old storage facility I can convert. I'll call the construction crews right away."

Kayla and Steve shared a glance and she smiled and nodded, telling Steve to agree to Tony's idea. He turned to Stark and answered, "Sounds perfect."


	40. Chapter 40

Author's Note: Here we go! End of Part 2! Please leave me reviews how you feel about this story! Like, pretty please, with poptarts on top? 

**Three Weeks Later**

"Zawadi come!" Kayla called as she lifted a box of her belongings from the bed to the kitchen table. Moving day had arrived. She hadn't seen the new facility yet, but Tony had assured her she would love it.

Steve had been helping Stark with the design process, which surprised Kayla. Steve wasn't big on interior design so she was confused as to why he wanted to help Tony with the new headquarters.

Her Rhodesian Ridgeback has grown eighty-five pounds, a massive dog even by her super soldier standards. Maddie didn't like him much anymore, a little too big and rambunctious for her taste.

"I said I'd help you move Kay, but you packed the boxes so heavy I can't lift them." Tiffany huffed as she dropped a small box next to the larger one.

"Sorry," the blonde mumbled as she pulled a long loose curl away from her face. "My sense of heavy is a little off."

"Yeah, I wonder why." Tiffany laughed, placing a small hand on her hip. "Upstate New York is even farther from D.C. Not only are you going, but you're also taking my Sam with you."

"How's that going by the way? You two seemed cozy at dinner last week?" Kayla asked casually.

Tiffany needed an excuse to give the First Lady as to why she was visiting New York so often, so every week since the team got back from Sokovia Kayla made dinner for Sam and Tiffany, the ex-special forces soldier inviting Tiffany as his date to see Steve. It had become a lovely tradition for the couples, and it allowed Kayla to keep close tabs on her family.

"It's going quite well. Perhaps soon we'll even move in together. I could fall in love with the simple life. Upstate." Tiffany shrugged, alluding to her coming with the team.

"Oh yeah? Well, that would be great for me too. But what would you do? What would you tell Mom?" Kayla asked worriedly. As much as she wanted her best friend close by, she wouldn't be able to hear about her parents anymore. Kayla wandered back into the bedroom to grab another box. Over the past few weeks, she'd ventured out in disguise to buy some new clothes and accessories. Tony credit card allowed her to buy more than she should have.

"She won't need another assistant soon. Your dad pulled out of the race for re-election." Tiffany explained carefully, having thought long and hard about how to break the news to her friend.

"What?" Kayla gasped, dropping the box of clothes onto the ground. "Why not?"

"Why do you think dumbass, because his daughter died." Tiffany hissed, throwing her arms to the side. "I know you don't want to tell them because you are scared of how they will react, but Kayla there are real-world consequences to this now. You need to talk to them!"

Kayla put up her hands in defense, trying to block her friend's words from hurting her more. "I will! I just need to wait until the right time..."

"Pretty sure that ship has sailed. It's been almost two months." Tiffany answered, placing her hands back on her hips as she always did when she was trying to convince Kayla she'd made a stupid mistake.

"So either way, they'll be super pissed when they find out. And then they'll be super happy! Yay..." Kayla trailed off, pretending to shake her fists victoriously, but Tiffany just shrugged and scooped up the little Maltese who had been hiding under the kitchen chair after Kayla dropped the clothes box.

"It's your decision. I just don't plan on being there when they find out I knew. I've gotta get going, Sam needs to get packed as well and I want to spend a little more time alone before he leaves."

"Before he packs the sheets?"

Tiffany glared at her friend but didn't correct her. "I love you."

"I love you too," Kayla called as the elevator door closed, taking Tiffany downstairs to where Sam was waiting in his car.

Kayla picked up the box she had dropped and placed it on the wooden table with the other. She'd been instructed by Pepper to take her belongings and any appliances she particularly liked, but that Tony was making sure everything would be perfect at the new headquarters. Kayla didn't want to pry to understand why Pepper wasn't there making sure it was perfect, as that's what Pepper did. She had helped Tony with every aspect of Avengers Tower, but she seemed to be pretty hands-off with the Upstate Base.

Zawadi panted patiently next to her leg, wanting some attention. "You want to go downstairs and play with Thor? Yes, you do! Let's go!" Kayla exclaimed as she jumped up and down, causing the dog to bark loudly. "Shhh, let's go!" She made her way to the elevator and the dog jumped up onto her, and she caught him, standing with her legs spread holding the massive dog as the elevator doors opened to reveal the party deck. When Zawadi saw Thor he took off sprinting, wanting to play with his human friend.

"The beast has come up to play!" Thor bellowed as he knelt to greet the dog, Zawadi barking and wagging his tail happily.

"You're gonna miss your buddy aren't you?" Kayla asked as she pet her dog on the head, feeling a pang of sadness that Thor would be going back home soon. He had informed the group he'd stay till the new base was operating, but Kayla was surprised he'd stuck around as long as he did after Jane dumped him.

"And I shall miss him. It's been great relaxing with you all while Stark works on the new base. I was informed that you're moving into the base today. I'll be leaving in just a few days, once everything has been settled here." Thor told the girl, throwing Mjolnir so the dog could fetch it.

Kayla fell into the chair near where Thor was sitting, munching on the popcorn he'd been eating. The two sat in comfortable silence, watching the dog run through the emptying Tower. It was a melancholy feeling, knowing that change was coming fast. The band was breaking up, in a way. Steve and Natasha were working on a new team of Avengers.

Suddenly, they turned to see the door open, and Steve walked in, wearing jeans and a blue workout shirt. He smiled at Kayla as Zawadi charged him, jumping into his arms as he had done with Kayla. He seemed to have become a giant lap dog, loving to be held by the super soldier and his girl. Tony was not happy about the new development, because the dog often forgot that Tony could not lift the Rhodesian, and they would both go tumbling to the ground. Tony had made it abundantly clear that he could not wait to have the dog out of his Tower, and he was not sad about not living in the new Avengers Base with the others.

The super soldier carried the dog back to his girlfriend and released him to pull her against his chest, leaning down to kiss her. Right before their lips touched, he whispered, "It's time to go."

She tilted her head up to look on his eyes, "You tease." She murmured back, stroking his face as he kept his lips just out of reach of hers.

"I can't wait to show you your new home." He beamed, backing up but keeping her hands in his. "I carried your boxes down. Is there anything else?"

"Nope, we are officially packed. It's just sad to say goodbye." She looked around at the party deck, remembering the good times and laughed they'd had, especially after returning from Sokovia, the team stronger than ever.

Banner was still missing though, and Natasha was sad, even if she tried to pretend everything was normal. Both she and Wanda had already moved to the base, and Clint went home to his family.

Kayla and Steve were the last Avengers still living in the Tower, and their time had come. Steve gently pulled Kayla by the hand, their dog following happily.

Thor rode along with them to the base, not wanting to stay in the Tower alone. Kayla watched anxiously as they drove past trees and finally an open field. And on the far edge of the clearing was a massive building, the side adorned with an A. Her mouth dropped open in amazement. It was stunning.

When Steve parked the car on the dirt road outside the main door, several agents appeared to get their few boxes from the trunk. Steve walked around to the passenger seat, opening the door for his girl to get out. "Welcome home." He gestured to the large grey building. He led her through a glass door into a bustling scene. Workers were putting the finishing touches in the main lobby.

Steve nodded his head to the right, directing Kayla towards another part of the building. They walked through a tunnel and under an archway marked "Living Quarters".

"Looks very military." She mumbled then snapped her fingers to get Zawadi's attention away from the plant he was sniffing.

"Not all of it," Steve answered with a grin, pulling on her hand to take her further down the hall. "Your room is this way."

"My room?" She questioned, staring her boyfriend down. "Don't you mean _our_ room?"

Steve stopped at a large white door marked 102. He turned to Kayla, wringing his hands together nervously. "About that. I think we should have separate living spaces. A little space will be good. I promise I'm not far, just right next door." He pointed across the hall to a door reading 101.

Kayla crossed her arms and huffed, her good mood soured. Steve was so excited for her to see her new home. A home away from him.

"Kay," He drew out her name, "give it a chance. Trust me."

"Fine. Open the door." Kayla demanded, giving him a chance to improve her feelings about their arrangement.

Cap opened the white door to reveal a cozy apartment. The walls were white, but there were shelves with booms and flowers. A tv hung on the wall above a fireplace in the corner, a long leather couch facing it. Off to the right was a kitchen, everything brand new for her. There was a laundry room to the left of the front door, the side of the room with the fireplace. Near the kitchen was a large archway leading to the bedroom suite.

Kayla made her way silently to the bedroom and Steve waited with baited breath. He'd put so much effort into her home, and he was most proud of this.

As he followed the blonde, he heard her gasp, a grin growing in his face. He walked up behind her and put his hands around her waist as she stared around the room. "You like it?"

"Darling, it's perfect."

She stared out the sliding door, leading outside to a small field surrounding a lake. Steve threw open the door and Zawadi went flying out to jump into the water. Kayla laughed and kissed Steve, staring up at him lovingly.

The bedroom was the same size as the rest of the apartment. She had a walk-in closet and a jacuzzi, just like their place in Avengers Tower. The bed was a King size and when she placed her hand on it she could feel it was soft down.

Too soft for Steve.

"I just wish you were living with me. I'll miss you." Kayla whimpered as she watched her dog play in the lake.

"I'm not so far." Steve turned a doorknob on the far wall near the bathroom, opening the white door to reveal his dark wood bedroom on the other side.

Kayla laughed loudly, wrapping her arms around Steve's waist. "We could have saved an apartment. Shared one."

"We will Kayla. In time we'll close off the hallway and make this whole wing ours!" Steve gestured around and Kayla threw him a quizzical glance.

"Why not do that now?"

"Because we need a little time apart before..." Steve stopped, his breath catching in his throat. He'd made his way to the door, standing just inside it.

Kayla made her way over to him, eyeing him cautiously. "Before what?" Steve was fidgeting, and it made Kayla nervous.

He turned to face her, his face brave and his hand in a fist. Kayla's face drained of color. Did he want to take a break? Did he have to go? Did she?

He got down on one knee.

Kayla fell silent, understanding what was happening. She was beaming from ear to ear as her eyes began to water.

"Kayla Dawn Ellis," Steve started, his voice shaking as he held her hands with one of his own, the other still in a fist. "You captured my heart the night I met you. You are unlike anyone I've ever met. You push me, support me, and love me. And I was so lonely before you. I can't live without you. I love you so damn much."

"Language!" Kayla chastised with a laugh, wiping away tears with her free hand.

"Kay, will you marry me?" Steve unfurled his hand, revealing a small blue box. He let go of her hand to open the box revealing the biggest diamond she'd ever seen. It took her breath away. Steve smiled at her reaction, staring at it so passionately. "It's five carrots. Princess cut. Tiffany helped me pick it out." He continued to watch her face as it shifted from the ring to him, and panic began to set in at her silence. "Kay?"

"Hmm?" She hummed, locking her eyes on his. "Yes! Yes Steve yes!" She exclaimed as she shoved her left hand in his face and he gently slipped on the ring.

Zawadi came running back into the room, soaking wet and lunging at Steve as he knelt. He swatted the dog playfully, now wet himself from the lake. Kayla laughed boisterously as Steve stood and spun her around, kissing her passionately as he held her close.

She bounced up and down in her tennis shoes, "we have to go tell the others! Nat, Wanda!" She helped running out of the bedroom with Zawadi hot on her heels.

She swung the door to the apartment open and was hit by a wall of Avengers. "Congratulations!" They all yelled in unison, Wanda and Tiffany escaping the throngs to gaze at the ring.

"It's beautiful!" Wanda cooed.

"I know right? I helped." Tiffany bragged as she wrapped her small arms around her friend.

"I wish you many happy years Captain." Thor smacked Steve on the back as Tony came to his other side.

"Bachelor party. I'll plan it. It'll be great."

"I'm in!" Clint hollered, leaving Nat's side to shake Steve's hand as he looked between Barton and Stark nervously.

"Maybe." He warned, but his smile returned when he saw Kayla hugging Nat warmly, showing off her rock to the redhead.

She looked up from the ring and met her fiancé's eyes. And she felt at home.


	41. Chapter 41

Steve walked with Natasha, she asked about the new recruits.

"Well, we're not the '27 Yankees." Steve answered, handing her a tablet with information on the newest Avengers.

"We've got some hitters. Just no favoritism for sleeping with the coach." Steve shot her a dirty look, then looked ahead as they prepared to enter the second floor of the training gym.

"They're good, but they're not a team." Steve said as the pair crossed the hallway, and before he opened the door Natasha added, "Let's beat them into shape."

Steve pushed open the doors and walked out onto the balcony overlooking the open room. Rhodey lifted up his War Machine mask as Vision turned to look up at the pair. Sam flew to stand near the others, wings folding in as he landed. Wanda lowered herself to the ground with her powers, having learned to levitate with the red magic she had within her. She wore a long red jacket, similar to the one Pietro had given her for the Battle of Sokovia.

A blonde woman in a dark blue suit bounded towards her, doing a double flip and nailing the landing, crouching on one foot with the other shot out to the side. She flipped her ponytail back over her shoulder, staring up at her fiance and Natasha.

Steve took a deep breath as he looked out over the new team. "Avengers..."

"Assemble?" Kayla blurted, trying to keep the smirk off her face as Sam, Rhodey, Vision, and Wanda turned to face her.

Steve sighed, shaking his head as he rolled his eyes, "Yeah, what she said." He was wearing his Captain America uniform, his shield placed on his back. He grabbed onto the railing of the balcony and easily cleared it, using his shield to help him land on the floor below. "Time to get to work."

* * *

"Sloppy! Again!" Natasha demanded as Wanda fought her in hand to hand combat.

"Sorry, I've never been in a fist fight before," Wanda grumbled, cracking her knuckles.

"Here, come fight Kayla," Natasha ordered, and the Scarlet Witched moved to stand in front of the blonde. Kayla had her long blonde curls up in a bun, she stretched her lean muscles as she prepared to fight her friend.

"No, aim for her head, see how she blocks you?" Natasha ordered, walking the girls through the steps. "Now your enemy thinks you're going to go for the head, take this chance to sweep her legs, it'll take her down and you can immobilize her."

Wanda tried the move Natasha had suggested, but when she went to sweep Kayla's legs, the super soldier's feet didn't move. Both of them looked to Natasha, and Black Widow sighed deeply and walked up beside Wanda before dropping quickly and kicking Kayla behind the knees, then sweeping her calves with her other leg. The woman fell hard, landing on her back with a thud.

"Uhhh," Kayla groaned, laying on the floor looking up at the ceiling. She made no move to get up, just laying there placing her hands across her chest. "I'm done! Tapped out! Go on without me!"

Natasha pushed her boot against the blonde's stomach, causing the girl to gag dramatically. Natasha rolled her eyes, pressing harder against Kayla's gut to inspire her to fight back, but she wasn't biting.

Surprisingly, Wanda used her powers to blast Nat away from the girl, causing the assassin to land unceremoniously on her ass several feet away. Wanda reached down and grabbed Kayla's hand, pulling her up from the gym floor. "You okay?" Wanda asked as Kayla rubbed her hands against her uniform.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm just... not used to this much work." She admitted, a red tinge appearing on her cheeks from her confession.

"Obviously." Natasha spat as she stood, returning to the girls, "Are you gonna train, or are you gonna complain? Steve doesn't even want you joining the team."

"Rude," Kayla growled back at Natasha, then both of them broke out into smiles. Kayla and Natasha understood how each other worked, even if Nat didn't appreciate Kayla's work ethic, she knew the blonde wouldn't take her jests personally, even if they were true.

"Back to work ladies," Steve called from where he was standing with Sam and Rhodey.

Kayla reached up her hand, middle finger extended, but Nat and Wanda grabbed at it at the same time, pulling it back down before the soldier could see. Natasha set up the women again, giving Wanda directions for taking down the super soldier.

"Wanda, do you want to practice your powers while I spar with Kayla?" Nat asked after a few more rounds, seeing the brunette getting more frustrated with her combat skills. Wanda nodded, then wandered away to the corner where she could sit and practice with the red smoke.

"Alright Kayla, eyes on me," Natasha commanded, pointing from her eyes to Kayla's. Then she punched at the girl, socking her in the face before kicking behind her knees again. This time Kayla was ready for her, and she planted her feet, taking the hit but then crouching down and grabbing Nat by the leg, swinging her quickly to the side.

Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare as Nat rose from the ground, beaming at her pupil. "Good job. You're learning."

"I'm tired." Kayla shrugged, "The sooner I knock you down the sooner I can leave."

"You aren't tired, you are lazy. The super soldier serum keeps your energy up. It takes a lot more than this to wear you out." Steve responded, walking up to stand next to Natasha. He stared down Kayla, judging her as a Captain and not her fiance. He softened his eyes as he added, "We won't think any less of you if you decide not to join the team."

Natasha and Kayla shared a knowing look, then Kayla turned back to Steve. She raised her chin defiantly, but before she could speak Steve put his hand up, "I know I know, you feel like you need to help."

"You know me so well." She murmured, slinking her way over to the soldier. When she was close she leaned in, raising up on her toes to get close to his ear, "We could always continue training in the apartment. I have a few moves you don't know yet."

Although they couldn't hear what she was saying, the team could guess it was something sexual as Steve's face flushed and he looked around nervously, not wanting everyone else to hear. Sam chuckled and crossed his arms, then called over to the Captain, "I think its time we call it a day. Seems like you are losing focus Cap."

Steve sized up his team, then nodded in agreement. "Good work today. All of you." He turned back to Kayla, "We'll meet up again tomorrow, same time, same place."

As everyone started filing out of the gym, Steve pressed a large hand on Kayla's shoulder. "Not you."

Kayla froze, then turned slowly to face the blonde soldier behind her. His jaw was set and his eyebrows were drawn together in a frown. His hands sat on his belt, and he tapped his foot impatiently. She could see she was about to get scolded. Even before Steve proposed, Kayla had become accustomed to pushing his buttons and undermining him in front of his team. In the weeks that followed his proposal though, she'd become almost unbearable. It didn't help that Steve didn't want her to become an Avenger. He wanted her to stay home and stay safe. She wanted to be where he was. Neither of them would ever be happy with the outcome because he was her everything, and she was worried about him, and vise versa.

So they'd come to a compromise: Kayla would train and Steve would consider bringing her along as back up. Consider being the keyword, but they'd only been training a few days and Kayla was difficult. Steve was growing more convinced she needed to stay home in the shadows where she was safe, despite her abilities growing as she honed them.

"Kay..."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry Steve, I just... I want to get out in the world-"

"You aren't going anywhere until you can focus. You have no discipline, you are spoiled, and I can't trust you to be there for the team out in the field." Steve said coldly, knowing he'd hurt her feelings but needing to be honest. He couldn't lie to his girl.

"I'd never let anything happen to you guys!" Kayla defended herself, her cheeks growing hot. She didn't like being treated like a child, but Steve didn't like being disobeyed. Him being in charge of her was hard for them, but she wanted to be a part of the team so bad, she insisted.

"You don't understand that this work is dangerous. People die, _we_ could die. When it comes down to it, are you willing to accept that you might not be able to save me, or Wanda, or Sam, or Nat? If you go out there, there's no turning back from the things you'll do. Are you sure you are ready for that responsibility?" Steve pressed, grabbing her hands in his.

"I just don't want to sit at home and wait for you, when I know I could be helping," Kayla mumbled, shuffling her feet. "But I'm not like you Steve. I can't put the greater good above what I love. And I don't want a Captain, I want a husband."

"I'll be both for you, but I'd prefer to just be your husband." Steve murmured, pressing his forehead to hers.

"I think I'll reconsider joining the Avengers. If I stay home, maybe you'll stay home more." Kayla informed the man, and he unclasped her left glove, pulling it off to reveal her diamond ring.

"I think I just might." He kissed her hand, then put her hand through his arm, escorting her back home.


	42. Chapter 42

**Four Months Later**

Kayla was cooking. She'd started cooking a lot more while Steve was training. With her increased metabolism, she ate a lot and the new Avengers Facility didn't have private cooks as the Tower had. Unless she wanted to eat copious amounts of cafeteria food, she had to feed herself. She the former First Daughter had busied herself learning how to make meals. The more she practiced, the more she accepted her more domesticated role in the Avenger's household

And as the days went on, she came to enjoy the idea of Steve coming home every night to dinner on the table. Kids playing in the yard with Zawadi. A little family watching the sunset before retiring to the couch by the fire. The more her dream grew, the less she pestered Steve about letting her go into battle with the New Avengers. She knew Steve would always find a way home to her

Until he didn't.

It was a Monday morning when a knock came from outside Kayla's heavy door. Steve and the team were supposed to be home the night before, but he hadn't stopped by to say goodnight, so she assumed they got back after she went to bed. "Come in! It's open!" Kayla called as she flipped the omelet she was making herself. She'd become accustomed to eating omelets, bacon, and lots of hash browns for breakfast, because she needed something heavy to kick-start her body.

The knocking continued, and Kayla stopped making food, looking up towards the door. Steve would have just walked in when given permission. This was somebody else. She pulled off the food covered apron tied around her waist and flipped her long blonde braid over her shoulder as she walked silently over to the door. She hated that there weren't peepholes in the secure facility, just because she lived with her friends didn't mean she didn't want to talk to them sometimes. She pulled open the heavy white door to reveal Natasha standing outside, her hair a mess as it hit the shoulders of her uniform. The redhead was growing out her long curly hair, making Kayla itch to dye her own long locks the same red as the assassin's.

"Nat? What's wrong?" Kayla read the woman like an open book. Natasha was usually great at hiding her thoughts, but that morning her face was etched with worry and shame, something Kayla wasn't used to seeing in the Black Widow.

"The mission was a failure." She started, voice even as she composed herself, preparing to calm the blonde when she delivered her news, "They got Cap."

Kayla's green eyes narrowed, her grip on the doorknob tightening. Her whole body tensed and she didn't even feel the indents in the wooden frame start to form. Her jaw set tightly, trying to hold the words she wanted to say inside her. She was a ball of anger, worry, frustration, confusion... "What do you mean 'got Cap?' Do they have him now?" Kayla finally asked coolly, fighting back the flood of emotions threatening to overcome her. A dull ache began in the back of her skull, and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she waited for Natasha to answer.

"They have him now. It's a drug ring. It should have been an easy mission, but Wanda gave herself away. They came to capture her and Steve jumped in to protect her. I think they drugged him and took him away. There was too much chaos, we had to go before anyone else got taken. Whatever they are using, its powerful Kayla. Steve's system should reject such a thing, but from what I saw it didn't. He went down hard. It could have killed Wanda, which is the problem. It's meant to kill people." Natasha explained, shifting uncomfortably from boot to boot. Steve had given the team very strict orders to keep Kayla in the dark on missions. Any information she needed would come from him. He had told his girl before he left that it was a simple mission, something easy for Wanda to start on. Busting a drug ring was below the Avengers, but it took some spy work. Unfortunately, neither Steve nor Wanda were spies.

"Who else was with you?" Kayla asked quietly. She knew Steve was trying to protect her from this world, but she could see Natasha wasn't coming to let her in on their rescue plan. Kayla was the rescue plan.

"Just four of us. Steve, Wanda, Sam, and myself. I was with Sam, Steve was with Wanda. The drug ring runs out of a club in New York. Sam and I were, uh, more comfortable there than the others." Nat shook her head, embarrassed that they had failed. "When they took Steve down, the club went into chaos. We used it to escape. Couldn't get back in safely though, they saw us..."

"When do we leave?" Kayla asked, turning quickly to prepare for her trip to New York.

"The club opens at seven. We don't know if they'll be keeping him there or not, but the woman in charge will be there either way. It's our best chance of finding him." Natasha finished, taking a step into the apartment. Zawadi perked up once she entered their domain, but a sharp stare from the redhead caused the dog to lay back down with his paws over his nose.

Kayla came back from her bedroom, wearing her uniform, but Natasha just shook her head disapprovingly. "What?" Kayla asked, gesturing to her outfit before she went to turn off her stove and placed her omelet and bacon onto a plate. She stuffed a piece into her mouth before Natasha could reprimand her.

"You can't wear that. We need to go undercover. If Wanda and Steve had blended in more none of this would have happened."

"What kind of club is this?" Kayla asked, stuffing her eggs into her mouth.

"It's a... club? Dancing? Drinking? Scantily clad women?" Natasha asked sarcastically, unsure what Kayla wanted to know.

"Okay, give me a half hour and I'll meet you at the quinjet. Also-" Kayla stopped Nat as she was about to leave the apartment, turning to look at her blonde friend. "I want to learn how to fly."

"Fly... the quinjet?" Natasha asked carefully. Kayla had never shown any interest in wanting to learn how to fly before, but Natasha wasn't exactly surprised. It would be something helpful Kayla could do, and she was too smart to stay at home and work in the lab all day.

"Yes," Kayla answered simply, ushering Natasha to the door. "I think I could be really good. Give me a chance." She sang back to the redhead.

"Sure. Twenty-five minutes. Just you and me. Go." Nat pulled the door closed behind her, and Kayla sprinted back into the bedroom, Zawadi following curiously.

She started up a curling iron and opened the cabinet and began pulling out makeup. She painted a dark smokey eye onto her lids and colored her lips cherry red. Once her makeup was setting, she curled up her permed hair, creating tighter curls than her easy beach waves. Once her ringlets were done, she used a large brush to blow them out, creating voluminous curls. From her closet, she dug far into the back and pulled out a short, sparkly blue dress that Tiffany had grabbed for her from her pre-Steve days.

Slutty Kayla was back.

Sam let out a low whistle as Kayla made her way up to the top deck of the Avengers Facility. "Look at you hot stuff! Bringing out the big guns to save your man?" Sam asked as he looked her up and down. Natasha made her way over to the blonde with Maria Hill, carrying a tablet. Wanda sat nearby being comforted by Vision. When she saw Kayla she stood quickly, making her way over to her friend.

"I'm so sorry Kayla, this is all my fault!" She cried softly, tears beginning to well up in her eyes as she prepared to face Kayla's wrath. But Kayla didn't get angry at the younger girl. She embraced her.

"I'm glad Steve protected you. It's what any good man would do, and I wouldn't expect anything less from him. I'm just glad you are okay." Kayla told her, pulling away to look at Wanda's face, holding her shoulders supportively.

Wanda's eyes were wide as she watched the woman carefully, "You aren't mad?"

Kayla scoffed, her eyes drawn together in a bemused frown, "No. Of course not. It's his job to protect his team. And as his future wife, it's my job to get him out of trouble."

"You plan on wearing that? Cap will stab my eyes out for the parts of you I've seen." Rhodey exclaimed, covering his eyes in mock embarrassment. "This is a club, not a strip club."

"Trust me, I know my way through the clubs. I was, as they say, _notorious_ before I started dating Steve. Natasha says the person in charge of the club is a woman, but we'll have to get past the guards... which will be men. Men like boobs. Men like ass. Boobs. Ass." She motioned from her breasts to her bottom. Natasha held her head in her hand, shaking her head at the blonde. Wanda looked extremely uncomfortable, while Rhodey, Maria, and Sam just nodded and shrugged, agreeing with the woman. Vision, well, Vision didn't exactly understand, but he did understand it was something he wasn't affected by. He had eyes for only one woman, and she was so much more to him than a pretty face.

A ping came from Maria's tablet, and Natasha leaned over to look at it. "We have to go." She barked at Kayla, storming towards the door leading to the jet pad. She looked over her shoulder, "The leader of the drug ring just sent out a message to her buyers. For a fee, she's showcasing the effects of their drug on an enhanced individual."

"Steve." Kayla whimpered as she trotted after Natasha, her heels clicking loudly as she went.

"Good luck you two. Let us know if you need backup." Maria called before the glass door closed behind the women. Natasha led the way into the quinjet, Kayla easily keeping up, even in her high heels. To her surprise, Natasha pointed at the pilot's chair.

"Not sure if its the best time, I didn't realize they'd be putting him on display," Kayla grumbled as she sat down, looking around at all the controls. She was a fast learner, and the prospect of learning something she could do with her hands gave her a thrill. Combat was too close to her, but this, this was something she could handle.

"That's why this is the best time. By focusing on the quinjet you won't psych yourself out about saving Cap. Now, flip that switch, hit that button, it'll start up the plane. We'll be there before you know it."

At 7:45, Kayla and Natasha were walking up to the bouncer at the club. For being sponsored by a drug ring, the club was quite popular, a line forming all the way around the block to get in. Natasha shifted in her red kitten heels, pulling down the hem of her skimpy red dress so more cleavage was showing. Natasha wore a black pixie cut wig, effectively disguising herself from the natural look she'd worn the night before.

"This place is pretty busy for a Monday night... must be pretty epic inside." Kayla popped the bubble gum she was chewing on obnoxiously while gazing at herself in a handheld mirror. Natasha almost didn't recognize the woman beside her, because this wasn't the Kayla she knew. She was shallow, impulsive, and ditzy. If she didn't know the real woman behind the mask, she would have worried that tonight would end similar to the one before. But Natasha knew Kayla Ellis would save Steve. This was her element.

As the women reached the bouncer, he asked for a name, and Kayla stood up straighter, batting her long eyelashes at him. "We aren't on the list... we, uh, heard there was a display this evening. We'd like to partake in the fun." She opened her mouth and ran her tongue along her upper teeth sexually like she was hungry to see what was inside.

"You are a buyer of Miss Davis?" The bouncer deadpanned, staring the blonde woman and her friend down.

Kayla took a step closer, pushing her lips closer to the large man's ear, "We work for some powerful people. We want to see if what she promises works. And quite frankly, I want to dance."

The man pulled away, a shiver shooting through his body from her breath on his ear. "Just stay out of trouble, okay ladies?" He warned them as he opened the red velvet rope, letting them in.

Once inside, the two looked around, Natasha pointing at a woman standing near the DJ. "That's her. Miss Davis. She runs the club."

Kayla arched her neck, getting a better view of the dark-haired woman. "She's guarding a curtain. That must be where they are keeping Steve."


	43. Chapter 43

Author's Note: Thank you to **The Crowned Prince** and **fairyblue1132** for leaving reviews! I really appreciate the support and also the accountability, because I forgot to give her a superhero name... and she should probably have one at some point ;)

Natasha followed Kayla through the crowd, making their way closer to the dark-haired woman guarding a massive black curtain. Once they were relatively close, Natasha snagged each of them drinks from a passing waiter. As they sipped their champagne, Kayla laughed loudly, tossing her head back.

When she brought it back down she met Nat's eyes. "One of the guards with Davis was looking our way, had to throw him off."

Natasha looked the girl up and down, impressed with Kayla's espionage. "You are really good at this." She murmured, and Kayla shrugged.

"I'm no soldier. This is...familiar. It's been a while, but I know a little bit about having fun and blending in. I was the President's Daughter remember."

"You were. Once upon a time." Natasha agreed, swinging her hips from side to side against Kayla. Kayla pulled her fingers through her long blonde hair, letting it fall as she raised her hands in the air dancing. She watched a group of girls coming out from behind the curtain laughing, and one shushed the others when Davis looked their way. As they walked closer to the bar, Kayla overheard them talking about Captain America.

She danced closer to Black Widow and whispered in her ear, "I'm going in. You stay here, keep watch."

"I copy. I'll keep an eye out for trouble. Good luck." Nat spanked Kayla and the blonde walked away laughing boisterously.

Miss Davis eyed the girl suspiciously as she sidled up beside the woman, holding her clutch loosely in her left hand over her shoulder. "Excuse me, where's the bathroom?" Kayla swayed from side to side, taking a swig from the champagne flute in her hand.

"Here." She pointed to the curtain, then motioned for one of the bouncers to come over. "He'll escort you there. There's lots of expensive equipment, security reasons, you know."

"Oof, lady, I just need to use the restroom. I've had a little too much to drink." Kayla laughed, leaning forward towards the woman.

"You look familiar." Davis interrupted Kayla's laughter, but Kayla just stood back up, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Have you been here before?"

"Honestly, I'm not really one for this type of scene! Not really a club goer! I think I will be after tonight though!" Kayla yelled over the music, trying to be heard over the base.

"Alright, take her back to the restrooms," Davis ordered, holding the curtain aside to allow Kayla and the guard in.

"This way." The man nodded down a white hallway towards the restrooms, but the sound of laughter echoed from a room further down. The guard looked both ways when Kayla gave him an inquisitive look. "The boss is dealing with some shady people. They've been working on something, and some goody two shoes came snooping around last night."

"Oh really... that sounds exciting." Kayla hummed, taking a step closer to the bouncer as he tried very hard not to look down her dress.

"Yeah, the boys and me, we're a, making a few extra bucks when the boss isn't looking. If you can pay up and keep your trap shut, I'll let you see what we've got."

"Please do, I'll go to the bathroom after." Kayla slurred, faking excitement.

The burly man opened the door where the laughter was coming from, and another guard met him there. "Dude, Davis is gonna be pissed if she finds out. We gotta shut this down."

The man leading Kayla put his hands up, motioning for the other man to keep quiet. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her, plus, I kind of like seeing the bastard like this. It's humanizing. And the ladies love him." He winked at Kayla, then placed his hand out, waiting for payment. She pulled out one hundred dollars and handed it to him. She moved to walk around the corner, but the guard stopped her.

"Wait here till it's your turn." The gruff man ordered, crossing his arms. Kayla couldn't see what was happening around the corner, but she could hear a woman laughing.

"What if I gave you this, and you let me go right now?" Kayla flashed two hundred dollar bills in his face, and the guys grinned and took them, nodding his head over to the left where the room opened up.

Kayla wanted to cry when she saw him. Whatever drugs they'd been working on were strong: his eyes were open but glazed. His hands were cuffed behind the chair he was sat in, and his legs were bound with shackles to the legs of the chair. That would have been bad enough for Kayla, but what started as a drug demonstration for Davis's clients had turned into a backroom strip club. Steve's shirt of gone, so he sat there in his jeans with a bleach blonde tramp straddling his legs.

The woman was running her hands through his hair, yanking on it sexily as she nuzzled his jawline, before running her fingers down his strong neck to his biceps. From there she shamelessly felt his muscles, down his bare chest to the V that made its way down to his crotch...

Kayla's blood ran hot, and she stormed over to the woman as her hand trailed to Steve's inner thigh. Kayla grabbed a handful of bleached hair at the nape of her neck, leaning low to growl into the woman's ear. "Step away from him, or I'll snap your neck. Leave, and don't mention this, or you'll die today. I'm a lot stronger than I look." Kayla pulled a little tighter to prove her point and the woman whimpered as she scrambled to get up off of Steve's lap.

The guard stationed in the hall came around the corner once the crying girl ran out, along with the one Kayla paid off. "Any trouble here miss?"

Kayla stood a little straighter, blocking Steve, her hair blocking half her face, "No, no of course not! Nothing's wrong. I just... want a little alone time." She winked, and then pulled more money out of her clutch. "What do you say, can you give me a little privacy?"

The two guards shared a look, then the new one took her money and they walked back towards the door. "Ten minutes. Do what you want."

"Noted." Kayla sighed, turning back to her fiance. She bit the side of her lip, trying to figure out how to get him out without alerting all of Davis's goons.

She slunk her way towards the soldier, swinging her left leg over his so she was straddling as the other woman had. She was much gentler though, stroking his cheek as her hair draped around both of their faces. "Darling. Steve, it's me. I'm so sorry this happened to you." Kayla murmured quietly, trying to get some sort of reaction out of him. "Damn this shit is strong. I've got to get you out of here. Discreetly."

Kayla kissed him passionately, grabbing at his arms as she did so. After a moment, Steve seemed to reciprocate, just a little, but it was the push Kayla needed to keep going. She traced down his long arms, sliding closer to his chest so she could reach his hands. When she got to the handcuffs, she grabbed onto the edges of the metal and snapped it, releasing his hands. "Keep those behind your back," Kayla ordered as she slid back towards his knees, getting a better look at his face. His eyes were clearing slightly, and he chewed a little, trying to get back his motor skills from the drug-induced coma he'd been in.

Kayla looked over her shoulder towards the door, not daring to waste any time, she crouched down, quickly breaking apart the binds on his legs before somebody came in to kick her out.

Once his ankles were free, she pulled herself back up to him, staying on her feet as she leaned in close to him, pressing her forehead against his. "Can you walk Steve?"

Steve opened his mouth, but couldn't make words. He stared into her eyes, then finally shook his head slightly, unable to really move.

"Hmmm, Plan B. If we can't run..." Kayla reached into her dress and pulled her phone out, sending Natasha a text saying to get the quinjet ready.

"What the hell is going on here?" A woman's voice came from behind Kayla. Kayla stood slowly, turning to face the voice, her hair still falling loosely around her face. Miss Davis looked at Kayla, then to Steve, seeing the metal on the floor. "Ohh, you are a naughty girl. Sneaking past the guards. Breaking into my storage room. And you know what happens when you're naughty?"

Kayla saw Davis pull out a syringe and walk closer to Kayla. Kayla laughed nervously as the woman prepared to inject the girl, "I, uh, just got distracted. I saw him through the window..."

"How did you get those off?" Davis asked curiously, eyeing the girl. "I know you don't have the key, because, I do." The woman held up a small key, but it was useless now, the cuffs were broken on the ground.

Kayla's eyes narrowed as the woman approached, Davis knew what was about to happen. "I think you know how I did. I'm going to take him with me. And if you stand in my way it's going to get very ugly."

Davis laughed, a hearty, wicked laugh that made Kayla shift uncomfortably, "Oh silly girl. Look at him! He's not going anywhere. This isn't for you, it's for him! He needs a new shot every thirty minutes, otherwise, his system fights out the drugs. As I said, he's not going anywhere. But you are." She waved her hand and the two guards from earlier came back. The second man cracked his knuckles menacingly, while the first one stared at Kayla sadly, feeling guilty for the woman. She was about to be in serious trouble.

"Ha!" Kayla laughed, stretching her arms to fight. "Well, it's your funeral."

The two guards came toward Kayla, but Kayla grabbed Davis, cracking the wrist that held the syringe, causing it to fall. Kayla grabbed the vial with her other hand, swiftly chucking it towards the second guard. The man felt the effects of the drug instantly, falling to the ground roughly. Davis stared at the woman, holding onto her broken hand.

"Who the hell _are_ you?" Davis sneered as the first guard started moving in on Kayla.

"I'm Captain America's fiance. And I'm your worst nightmare."

Davis pulled out a shotgun and aimed it at Kayla's face. "Oh, honey. You are so loyal. So brave. Here to save your man. Too bad you don't understand how any of this works." Kayla began to back up as Davis pushed her towards the wall, cocking the gun.

"You're right. I don't know how any of this works." Kayla agreed with a shrug as her back hit the wall, eyeing the familiar round shape sitting on the ground, almost as a prop in case people didn't believe they were seeing Captain America. "But I know how this works." She hit her foot against the ground and Steve's shield bounced up into her hand, blocking the bullets that Davis shot at her. She ran forward, knocking into hard into the dark-haired woman, hearing the woman's skull crack against the vibranium and then her unconscious body lying before her.

She threw the shield at the guard, knocking him over as she slid across the linoleum floor to grab the shield from where it fell. Suddenly, from the door, two women in short black dresses entered, backing Kayla back into the room.

"Hey, uh, ladies. What's up?" Kayla asked awkwardly, holding Captain America's shield at her side.

The two women walked around the unconscious guards and Miss Davis, each standing on Kayla's side. The first girl lunged at Kayla, grabbing for her hair, but Kayla hit her with the shield, sending the girl flying toward the wall before letting the shield fall to the ground. The second girl took a different approach, trying to sweep Kayla's legs, but Kayla kicked out at her, her strong leg spearing the woman with her heel. The lady cried out in pain as Kayla yanked her foot away from the girl's stomach, doing a backflip away and landing in a crouch.

She heard the sound of a gun cock behind her and stood slowly, putting both hands up in surrender. "Hand behind your back! Face to the wall!" The woman's voice yelled out and Kayla obeyed, knowing she was in no position to fight against the gun already pressed to her skull.

All of a sudden, a metallic clang rang out and the woman behind Kayla fell to the ground, causing the blonde to turn and see Steve standing there, shirtless, grabbing his shield from the air as it bounced back to him. Kayla bounded over to Steve, wrapping her arms around him thankfully as he steadied himself on his feet.

"I'm so glad you are okay." Kayla cried softly into the soldier's chest, rubbing his back with her thumbs.

"I'm... okay," Steve repeated, not quite sure if he was actually okay. It was the first time he had stood in twenty-four hours, and his legs were shaky. "How are we getting out of here...I'm not exactly easy to hide."

"Don't worry, backups on the way. You might want to duck." A voice came from the comm still in Steve's ear from the night before. He pulled Kayla to the ground, covering them with his shield as Natasha shot through the wall with the quinjet guns. Once the wall had fallen, Kayla helped Steve up and practically carried him to the jet.

Once safe inside the quinjet, Natasha started flying them back to the facility, ripping off her black wig and discarding it on the ground next to the pilot's chair. Steve sat in a chair on the left side of the jet, Kayla gave him a new shirt before she sat next to him, looking him over lovingly. She handed him water to help flush the drugs out of his system and he drank it thankfully. The three sat in silence for a few minutes before Steve looked at Kayla, really _looked_ at Kayla for the first time that day.

"What are you wearing?" He asked, his voice hoarse from not being able to talk.

Kayla looked down at the blue dress. It was still in pretty good condition after the fight, but it was stretched from her muscular thighs. It had fallen a little, showing even more cleavage than it had when she left, and she blushed a little as she pulled it up, trying to be a little more modest.

"It's nice." He added, resting his head against the back of the plane. "I'm sorry, I'm just so tired..." He droned off, closing his heavy eyes.

"Go to sleep honey, I'll wake you up when we get home." Kayla brushed his hair to the side as he dozed off, starting to snore.

"Hey Kayla?" Natasha called from the front of the jet.

Kayla looked up from Steve to face Natasha, "Yeah?"

"Good work. You did great back there."

Kayla smiled, proud of herself for earning a compliment from Black Widow. But more than anything, she was just happy to be bringing her fiance home.


	44. Chapter 44

Author's Note: This chapter is lame and I'm sorry. It's some filler. I promise though, it will get better. Please tell me what you guys like: more action, more dialogue, more lusty characters! I want to write a story for you all, and I want to focus on what you all like to read! Please leave me a review and tell me what parts you like and don't like as much!

When Nat landed the quinjet, Sam and Rhodey were already there to help Steve back to his quarters. As soon as the ramp opened, they ran in, each grabbing an arm of the soldier to practically carry his heavy body.

Kayla walked in pace with Natasha, being met by Wanda and Vision. "Is he okay?" Wanda asked, fear mixed with her Sokovian accent.

"He's drugged out of his mind, which is saying a lot for someone like him," Kayla said, nodding toward Steve.

"Someone like him?" Vision asked, tilting his head to the side in question.

"A super soldier...I guess, someone like us..." Kayla added, looking down at his shield that she carried.

"They are taking Captain Rogers to the lab for tests, you should go too so you can give an account of what happened. We'll need to make a plan to go back." Maria Hill informed as she led Nat and Kayla away from the jet.

"Go back?" Kayla asked, not understanding. She'd gotten Steve. He was safe. That's all that mattered.

"If the drug is strong enough to neutralize Cap, it'll be hell on a regular person. We have to stop the ring. We'll formulate a new plan. You have any ideas?" Natasha asked.

"Me?" Kayla looked at Nat, confused as to why they were asking her for her opinion.

"Yes. You. You got Cap out of there. You got a better look at the place. I know they'll recognize you, but maybe you know something that can help." Natasha encouraged, grabbing Kayla by the arm.

"The drug, it's an amber color. Given by syringe. She found me in there when she came to drug Steve again. She said he had to get it every half hour to keep it in his system. If we determine how much faster his metabolism is than a regular person, we can figure out how long it'll put them out for. Cross-reference that with any reports of people being drugged, keep an eye out for amber color liquid." Kayla answered, remembering everything she could that was important.

"I'll take that into consideration, once Cap is better we'll get back to work," Hill answered, walking off.

"He needs to rest." Kayla bantered, but Hill was already gone in the opposite direction of the med bay. Kayla turned and walked through the automatic glass doors, doctors jumped out of her way on her quest to find Steve. Several agents pointed her in the right direction until she saw him laid in a hospital bed with IVs in his arm. He lifted his head when she walked up, a smile spreading across his face.

His eyes looked sleepy, but he reached out with the arm not connected to the IV, and she gave him her left hand, which he proceeded to kiss and hold to his lips. "You saved me."

"I had to. I couldn't let anything happen to you. What did the doctor's say?"

"They said its strong, but I'll be good as new before you know it. By tomorrow I'll be back out in the field." Steve said proudly.

Kayla scrunched her face disapprovingly, shifting in her heels. "I think you should rest for a few days."

"I have to go, Kay, we can't let this happen to anyone else." Steve chastised, not wanting to run this circle with her again.

"Hill's using the information I gave to figure out a lead on where they might be hiding now that the club is uh... not a good hiding place anymore," Kayla explained. "You can take a few days off. They'll be able to work without you for a little bit. Listen to me. Please." Kayla begged, stroking his face. The cold of her engagement ring tingled his cheek, and he nodded slightly.

"Alright. You'll take care of me?" Steve asked, his blue eyes shining brightly.

"Of course. In fact, I'll see when I can take you home. And by home I mean downstairs. We'll stay in your room. I know my bed is too soft for you." Kayla stood, walking from the bed to find a nurse.

A few minutes later she returned, a nurse by her side. "Good news! They say I can take you back home. They just have to get the IVs out and you'll be coming with me." She nodded to the nurse who went to work unplugging the Captain from the machines.

Once he was undone, Kayla took his large hand in one of hers, and his shield in the other. She began to lead the soldier out of the medical bay and back to his home.

Once there, he handed her his key, and she opened up his apartment door, never letting go of his hand as she led him through the living space over to his bedroom. "Can I stay tonight?" She asked quietly as he pulled off his shirt and made his way to the bathroom. He was becoming increasingly aware of the mix of perfumes and sweat on his body, and it was driving his senses wild.

"Yes please." He called back over his shoulder, turning on the shower.

"Can I join you in the shower? I'm all sweaty." She whined as Steve unzipped his dirty jeans, scrunching his nose at the smell. This caused Kayla to giggle, "What? Do I smell?"

"It's not you... it's all the perfume." Steve complained as he discarded his pants in a hamper near the bathroom door.

"You don't remember what happened to you?" Kayla exclaimed, eyeing her fiance carefully before she continued, "You were very out of it. Women started noticing you on the way to the bathroom, so the guards were basically selling tickets to see you."

Steve's eyebrows shot up his forehead in surprise, clearly, he wasn't aware of the women gawking at him. Who knows what they'd been doing to him before Kayla arrived.

"I found you with a slut on your lap. I threatened to snap her neck. It made me sick... and jealous." Kayla admitted as she turned away from Steve, presenting the zipper of her dress so he could unzip her.

"I would never cheat on you Kay, you know that!" Steve hurried, helping her step out of her tight dress before tossing it in the hamper with his clothes.

"I know, but you weren't in control. I didn't want her to take advantage of you. Only I can do that!"

Steve shot Kayla a frustrated glance, and she just smiled impishly at him, then unstrapped her bra and plodded into the shower. "You gonna join me or not? The sooner we shower, the sooner we go to bed." Steve just shook his head, a smirk appearing on his perfect face. Then he joined her under the hot running water, letting it wash away whatever horrors he'd been exposed to, and letting the comfort of Kayla's company bring him peace.

* * *

Steve and Kayla didn't wake with the sun as they often did when they stayed together. In a strange twist, Steve slept long and hard, snoring like a freight train while Kayla buried her face into the back of his neck, her arm lazily resting under his arm. The blackout shades kept the room dark, and the soundproof walls kept it quiet. Kayla knew someday, probably when they were married at the rate they were going, she'd be thankful that their teammates couldn't hear their activities. Steve was still slow as a turtle, and Kayla hadn't had sex in over a year, but she was patient with the soldier. There were other things they could do...

Kayla awoke with a start from a knock on the door. She rolled over quietly, looking towards the bedroom door to see if the knocking would continue. It did, so she slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Steve from his slumber. She grabbed a sweatshirt from Steve's drawer that he never wore and put it on. It hit her mid-thigh, so it was decent enough, and Kayla made her way to finally open the door as the knocking became louder and more persistent.

"May I help you?" She snarled as she flung the door open, but it was Wanda on the other side, cowering a little under the blonde's nasty tone.

"S-sorry." She stuttered, pushing her dark hair behind her ear, "I was wondering if you guys wanted breakfast?"

Kayla's eyes narrowed suspiciously at the psychic. She pursed her lips together in thought, "You woke me up... to ask... if I want... breakfast?"

"The team's worried about Steve. It's ten thirty. He never sleeps in, so they sent me to check on him." Wanda admitted, kicking her shoe against the floor.

"He's... okay." Kayla settled on, looking over her shoulder. "I'm worried about him too. He never sleeps this long, but he was very out of it. He doesn't remember anything from being captured. I think he'll be okay though. I don't," Kayla lowered her voice so any listening ears wouldn't hear her confession, "I don't want him to go back there. He'll want to, but he shouldn't. Whatever they have is strong. I don't want him near it."

"But, he's the Captain," Wanda said slowly, lowering her head to show Kayla she didn't think her idea would fly.

"And he needs to rest. So you guys will have to figure it out without him." Kayla informed, taking a step back into the apartment, "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go join him back in bed." She slowly closed the door, not wanting it to slam in Wanda's face, but wanting to effectively end the conversation.

When she slipped back under the covers, Steve rolled over to face her, his eyes still closed. "You okay?"

"Yeah honey, it was just Wanda wondering if we wanted breakfast. They are worried about you."

"Why?" He yawned, finally opening his eyes as he sat up and stretched his arms, "I'm good as new!"

Kayla rubbed her hands against his chest as he stretched, shamelessly feeling his muscles. "Damn you are hot."

Steve wrapped his strong arms around her, pulling her too tightly to his chest until she whacked him in defeat. He released her slightly, allowing her to swivel so she was facing away from him. He once again wrapped his arms around her stomach, rubbing it gently as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "I love you Kay."

"I love you too Steve." She murmured, leaning her face to press her cheek against his. "I told them you needed to rest. But you also do need to eat. Do you want to join the team or have me make something?"

"Make something here. I don't feel like going out right now. My head is killing me... which I'm not used to for various reasons." Steve mumbled, bitter that whatever Davis was using on him was strong enough to have a lingering effect. He was a super soldier, and he healed fast, but this was taking too long. He should be himself again.

Steve shuffled his way out into his den, taking a seat on his couch and turned on the television. The news was on, as Steve liked to keep up with current events. However, he regretted it immediately when the newswoman spoke the newest headline.

"Mathew Ellis has officially stepped down as President of the United States. John Anderson will be sworn in in January, but for now, Vice President Johnson will be acting as President. President Ellis decided not to run for another term after the death of his daughter, Kayla Dawn Ellis, last year in the fall of the Triskellion in Washington D.C. He requested to step down from his position early so he would be able to spend the holidays alone with his wife in the wake of his child's death-"

Suddenly a steak knife came flying from the kitchen, spearing the television in the dead center with terrifying accuracy. Steve slowly turned to see Kayla standing a few feet behind him, panting as she fought back tears. She flung her long hair over her shoulder, tightening her lip when she realized Steve was watching her. She looked at him, opening her mouth to apologize for destroying his TV, but no words came out. Finally, the tears she was holding back came flooding out, and she wiped them away quickly as she took a sharp inhale of breath. "I'm sorry-I have to go." Kayla turned on her heels and darted barefoot from the apartment, the door slamming behind her as she ran.


	45. Chapter 45

"Kay!" Steve yelled as he sprinted from the bed, wearing only his pajama pants as he sprinted after his girl. She was too fast, and he didn't know where she would go, and her bare feet didn't make any noise so he couldn't hear where she was headed. He pushed himself harder, assuming she'd kept going straight, but eventually, he reached the end of the living quarter's hall and Kayla was nowhere to be found.

"Captain Rogers?" Vision's voice wafted from behind a bedroom door as the android phased through it, coming face to face with the soldier. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm looking for Kayla... she's really upset." Steve looked around Vision, his mind only focused on finding the girl.

"Is she upset about her father? Sam told me that her father didn't rerun for President because of her death. I'll admit there's a lot about humans I don't understand. That being said, I don't understand why she hasn't told her family she's alive if she's that upset about their reaction. It seems very selfish."

Steve stared at Vision, anger rising in his cheeks. But he pushed it back down, raising his chin defiantly, "It's been very hard for her... like you said, you wouldn't understand.

"Perhaps someday. With guidance from our team. I know you are lashing out because you love her. And I am not upset with you about it. I know you don't mean the harsh words you speak. Because this isn't you Captain."

Steve nodded, a silent apology to Vision. Before he could get too far though, the android added, "She was running towards the stairs when she came by. Perhaps you should try the roof?"

Steve picked up speed toward the stairs, flinging open the door and rushing up to the roof. When he reached the top of the building, he was hit by the brisk November air of upstate New York. He was suddenly very aware that he was shirtless as a shiver ran through his body. Just because he was a super soldier didn't mean he didn't feel cold.

Vision was right, Kayla had run towards the roof. She sat on the edge of the building, with one foot dangling off the side as she stared off into the empty field flanking the Avengers Facility. Her chin sat on her other leg, arms wrapped around it to stay warm as Steve's sweater barely covered her butt. The wind blew her hair around her face, shielding her tears from the world.

"Kay." Steve sat beside her, placing one large arm around her shoulder. She sniffled and continued staring forward, ignoring her fiance. After a moment she sighed and turned to Steve. When she saw his state of undress she gasped, scrambling to stand up.

"Steve! It's freezing out here! We need to go back inside!" She pulled him easily, yanking him over to the door as she flung it open.

"I'm sorry you had to find out about your father like that, I didn't know-" Kayla hugged him tightly, stopping his apology in its tracks as she wept into his chest. He held her hair as she cried, and finally, she raised her head to face him, and he wiped away her tears.

"I made a mistake. I made a selfish mistake and now I've changed the course of history- it's too late to tell them now. I'm nothing but a ghost."

"It's never too late to go home, Kay. I'll take you to them, I'll help you tell them. They will just be so happy you're alive-"

"And so mad I hid it from them for so long. My dad was going to run for office again, and now he isn't, because of me..."

"Do you want to see them?" Steve asked abruptly, beginning to lead her down the stairs.

"Yes. I do, but I'm ashamed. I'm ashamed that I wasn't brave enough to do it sooner." She admitted, walking slowly down the stairs, her bare feet cold against the tile floor.

"Come here." Steve hoisted her up and she instinctually wrapped her legs around his waist as he held her by the ass and carried her down the stairs.

Once they arrived back at his apartment, he opened the door that separated their two places and carried her to her bed, where Zawadi was snoozing. He deposited the girl on the fluffy mattress and then pounced into the bed with her. His weight caused the dog to bounce off, which in turn made Kayla laugh, as he had hoped it would.

"I see you're feeling better." Kayla giggled as she sat against the headrest.

"Like I said, good as new," Steve assured her, placing a kiss on her temple. "How about after the wedding, we take a few months off. We can go away, travel the world, live simply for a while. What do you think?"

"I'd love that Steve. Promise we'll make it happen? Promise we won't get tangled up in Avengers stuff?" Kayla warned, holding up her pinky finger.

He looked from the pinky to her face, not understanding.

"It's a thing. A pinky promise. Here, give me your hand." Kayla grabbed his hand and pulled his pinky up, then linked it with hers. "There, a promise."

"I promise," Steve repeated, staring at their hands.

* * *

 **One Month Later**

"Merry Christmas everyone! Did you miss me?" Tony hollered as he waltzed into the living room of the Avengers Facility. He was followed by Happy, who carried a big red bag full of square shapes that were undoubtedly presents.

The main room had chairs and couches, and a Christmas tree in the corner all decorated with lights and strings of popcorn. There were several small presents under the tree, but Tony seemed to have gone a little overboard, as expected. There were stockings hanging on the wall with the names of the new Avengers. The table had frosted cookies on it shaped like trees and stockings and Santa hats. The large glass windows overlooked the field beyond the facility. Kayla stood by the window, unfazed by the billionaire's arrival.

"Merry Christmas Tony." Natasha hummed as she hugged the man, then motioned for Happy to drop the packages off by the tree.

Wanda stood behind the sofa with her hands on the back of the couch, Vision standing close to her without touching her. Sam and Tiffany were cuddling on the couch, his arm tight around her small shoulders as she laughed at something he said. Rhodey embraced Tony as Steve stood near the door, leaning against the frame. This was his first Christmas actually celebrating since he'd been thawed from the ice. Every year he'd been working, training, existing. Last year he was still working for SHEILD. This year would be his first Christmas with his future wife.

"What's with the sad sack over there? Hey, blondie, why so blue?" Tony called over to Kayla, trying to get the girl to pay attention to him. He practically floated to the picture windows and stood beside the girl, leaning in to speak to her, "Not a fan of Christmas?"

"Last Christmas I spent in the White House, with my family. I'm just a little homesick, that's all." She mumbled.

Tony place a gentle hand on her shoulder, knowing what it was like to be without family on Christmas. He had no more blood relatives. Almost none of them did. "I get it. It's hard, you're probably feeling alone. But you aren't alone, you have your family right here." He gestured around the room. "We are your family, whether you like it or not. We'll always be there for you."

Kayla hugged Tony, and when she pulled away she backed into Steve, who grabbed her hand gently and spun her around with more strength than he would dare use with any other woman. Kayla wasn't fragile though.

"Alright, time for presents!" Tony clasped his hands together as he looked around at the team. "Come on, let's do this thing."

Tony got to work passing out boxes to everyone, a beaming smile on his face. Tony wasn't exactly the giving type, but he felt like he owed this group of people some affection after everything that had happened this past summer in Sokovia.

"Tony... you shouldn't have." Kayla cooed as she opened a small box to reveal a brand new laptop and cell phone. Kayla had been without technology for almost a year, and she was tired of using the Avengers computers for her personal enjoyment.

"You are the only woman I know without a cell phone. Even Steve has a flip phone." He gestured to the soldier with his head. "Welcome back to the world Miss Ellis."

"Nuh uh." She rejected, shaking her finger at Tony, "Miss Ellis is dead." Steve placed his arm around Kayla as she sat cross-legged on the floor, holding her computer in her lap. She smiled brightly as she opened the top, turning on the new Stark laptop. "What did you get Steve?"

"Capcicle doesn't need presents. He hates everything about the modern world." Tony deadpanned, then handed Steve an envelope he was hiding behind his back.

"Thanks?" Steve offered as he took the envelope, shaking it. "What is this?" He asked Tony curiously.

"I think you are are missing the point of Christmas, open the damn gift and find out." Stark barked, but there was no viciousness in his voice, only teasing.

Steve carefully opened the white envelope and pulled out a small handwritten note, reading it silently before flipping it open, eyes widening and jaw dropping. "Tony... what-"

Kayla grabbed the card out of Steve's hand and yelped at the billionaire, "Tony! We can't accept this! This is one-hundred thousand dollars."

Tony just put his hand up in protest, "If you need more, let me know. I figured since your parents won't be throwing you a wedding, and Steve doesn't have a whole lot of money from Avenging- I figured I'd help out a little."

"A little? This is one-hundred thousand dollars! For the wedding?" Kayla's green eyes were saucers as she looked from the check to the man who wrote it. She'd become humble since her death, seeing this much money made her feel guilty.

"It barely made a dent." He assured the couple, "If you want a small wedding, use the money for a home. I'm sure you don't want to live here forever. You can always get a place in Brooklyn, or wherever you want."

Steve stood from his place on the floor, making his way over to the man. Stark expected him to offer his hand to shake, but Steve grabbed him and enveloped him in a well-intentioned hug. "Thank you, Stark. It means a lot."

"Yeah, don't mention it. Literally, don't tell everyone, I have a reputation to protect. Now, I apologize, nobody else got money. Maybe if you start marrying each other." Stark looked around at the room, causing Natasha to scoff.

After opening presents, mostly from Tony, the other didn't have a lot of money to buy for everyone, the team sat around eating the pizza that Rhodey ordered for the group as Christmas dinner. They laughed, and joked, and harassed each other as they always did. Everyone was at peace.

Around six, Tony said his goodbyes and Happy drove him on his way back to New York. He had to go back to work on a new technology he'd launched, something about the hippocampus and sciency stuff that Steve didn't really understand, but Kayla was very intrigued by it.

"Come by sometime, check it out. I'd love a second opinion since Banner's still missing..." Tony trailed off, his voice shaking a little. They still didn't know where Bruce had ended up. The quinjet disappeared without a trace, the stealth mode never turning off and the jet never turning up.

"I'd like that. I'll call you!" Kayla held up the cell phone, smiling that she finally had a window into the outside world.

Tony nodded his goodbyes and went on his way, leaving the rest of the team to continue their celebration. Tiffany passed Kayla a frosted cookie and the girl stuffed it hungrily into her mouth, laughing as she chewed. The blonde leaned against her friend's legs as she cuddled up into Sam on the couch, the girls laughing as Rhodey told a War Machine story that really wasn't that funny, but they'd throw the man a bone.

Finally, Sam rose and left the room, Steve following close behind, so Kayla took his spot on the couch next to Tiffany and patted the cushion next to her to signal Wanda to join them. The witch did as directed, squishing in on the love seat with the two other girls as Natasha took a seat on the armrest next to Tiffany. Sam came jogging back into the room, a bottle of vodka in one hand and tequila in the other, while Steve followed carrying a twelve pack in each hand. Kayla and Tiffany squealed and leaped from the couch, running to the kitchen and returning with hands full of shot glasses.

Natasha nursed a beer while Wanda sat awkwardly on the couch while Tiffany lined up the glasses and Kayla filled them, one row with tequila and one with vodka. Once the glasses were filled, she took her place on the tequila side and Sam made her way up to the vodka side and they eyed each other competitively.

"You're going down Miss America." He hissed, eyeing the blonde up and down.

"Mere man versus a super soldier? I think we both know who's going to win this." She growled back, smirking wickedly as she shifted her weight.

"On your mark. Get set. Go!" Tiffany announced as the pair started to down the shots.

As the clock struck three in the morning, Kayla stumbled back down to her room, Tiffany at her side. Tiffany had recently quit working for Kayla's mom in order to move in with Sam in the Avengers Facility. Kayla still had her own suite, since Steve wanted to live separately until they were married. Kayla practically carried her small friend to her bedroom. A Christmas Sleepover the little-drunk woman had announced, and after much begging, she'd given up on getting Natasha and Wanda to attend and settled for spending the holiday with her best friend.

"Sooo," Tiffany slurred as she pulled the heavy door closed behind her before being knocked down by Zawadi. "Puppyyy." She laughed as the large dog licked her face. Kayla made her way over to the fridge and poured herself a glass of water, taking a long drink as the alcohol began to diminish from her system.

"Here." She handed Tiffany a glass of water of her own, pulling Zawadi away easily and sending him to his bed. Kayla sat on the floor next to Tiffany, taking another long swig of her water.

"So, wedding. It's getting real eh? Now that you've got the money." Tiffany asked, focusing hard on her friend as she took a drink of water, waiting for a response.

"Yeah... I guess it is." Kayla murmured, looking at the ring on her finger. Steve had waited to retire to bed until she was ready to go, sober as always, walking behind the girls to make sure they got into the room safely. He'd taken Stark's check with him for safe keeping.

"You sad your parents won't be there?" Tiff prodded, head bopping dully as she stared at her friends.

"Yeah." Kayla answered quietly, thinking about the implications of her choices, "Yeah I am sad."

"You know you can still tell them?"

"They'll hate me."

"They are your parents, they'll never hate you. No matter what you do." Tiffany chastised, gently pushing her friend's chin to the side supportively.

They both looked up as a knock sounded through the door. Tiffany rolled to the side and Kayla jumped up, flinging the door open to reveal Wanda on the other side, wearing her pajamas.

"I-uh, was wondering if I could join you guys for the Christmas sleepover. I don't have any family left, and I don't want to be alone." Her thick Sokovian accent did well to hide the crack in her voice as she kicked her slipper on the floor outside Kayla's apartment.

"That's not true." Kayla disagreed, shaking her head with a scowl on her face, "You do have a family, its here with us. Come in." She opened the door wide and waved Scarlet Witch in, putting the wedding talk and the idea of telling her parents to rest.


	46. Chapter 46

**February**

Steve, Natasha, Vision, and Wanda were out on a mission with Maria Hill running point from the jet, needing manpower over stealth. The base was quiet, most of the agents and scientists away for a "Spring Break" with their families, leaving Sam, Tiffany, and Kayla the base to relax. At least Kayla was relaxing, Sam and Tiffany were very busy from what she could tell.

While Kayla was sitting on her porch, watching Zawadi chase ducks around the pond, an alarm started going off in the distance of the building. Her enhanced hearing picked up the noise, and she rose, making her way towards the main building from the living quarters.

She passed by Tiffany and Sam's place, Sam darting out the door just after Kayla passed, jogging to catch up with her. "What's happening?" Kayla asked, seeing Sam knew more than she did.

"Perimeter breach. One of the sensors been tripped. I'm grabbing my gear and heading to check it out. Up on the roof." Sam informed as he grabbed his pack and moved to pull on his gloves.

"Need some backup?" Kayla asked as Sam pressed a red button, opening the door to the Avengers Base.

"I'll keep you posted," Sam answered as he took off to check on the breach.

Sam landed on the roof, wings folding in as he looked around through his goggles.

"What's going on up there Sam?" Kayla asked through the comm she placed in her ear as she sat down at a computer in the security center. She swiveled in her chair, bringing up the computers showing the rooftop where Sam stood.

Sam lifted his wrist to his mouth, "I had a sensor trip, but I'm not seeing anything." Kayla noted that he was repeating what he'd told her earlier, most likely to warn the intruder they'd been found out. Sam looked around, his goggles zooming in on a spot on the rooftop gravel. "What a second."

Kayla stared at the spot his goggles were zooming in to... a little... man?

"I can see you," Sam said out of nowhere. He must be able to hear something Kayla couldn't, which caused her face to squish in confusion because her hearing was far better than his. Suddenly, the little man grew to the size of a regular person.

"What the hell?" Kayla asked in shock as she leaned closer to the screen, contemplating joining the Falcon upstairs. This was intriguing.

"Hi! I'm Scott!" The man greeted as his helmet lifted up to show his face.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked quickly as the man started to interrupt him.

"I'm a big fan."

"Look at that Sam, he's trying to butter you up!" Kayla cackled into the comm, causing Sam to roll his eyes at her laughter.

"Appreciate it, so who the hell are you?" Sam answered seriously.

"I'm Ant Man." The man answered.

"Ant Man?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Ant Man!" Kayla snickered over the comm as Tiffany came to sit beside her. "Tiff look, it's Ant Man!"

"What's an Ant Man?" Tiffany asked, staring at the screen along with Kayla. Kayla shushed Tiffany with a giggle, focusing back on the banter between the Falcon and the Ant Man.

Sam began to make his way toward Ant Man, talking into his comm as he moved, "Found the breach, bringing him in."

"We'll prepare to receive him," Kayla responded as she stood, walking towards the door.

"Kay, wait. Look at this!" Tiffany stopped her friend from leaving by waving her arm feverishly to beckon Kayla to the monitor again.

Kayla turned to the screen just in time to see Ant Man shrink and Sam fly backward as if he'd been punched. Sam was quickly flying down towards the grass, in hot pursuit of the little man. "Breach is an adult male with some sort of shrinking tech."

"Yeah, we can see that. Need that back up yet?"

"I'll keep you posted," Sam answered as he landed, wings retracting as he raised his boot to stomp the man.

"Honey don't kill him!" Tiffany screeched into Kayla's ear, causing the blonde to shrink away, batting away her friend gently so not to hurt her.

Before Sam had the chance though, Ant Man had punched him strongly, almost knocking him over. Falcon flew back, guns firing, but couldn't find the man. Once he landed, he was nailed again by the invisible force, hearing an apology from it.

"That's enough!" Falcon yelled as he swung his fist, colliding violently with Ant Man, causing the man to grow quickly to his size. Sam flew up, holding the man, then punched him to the ground. As he fell, Ant Man shrunk, disappearing again.

"Now Kay. Now I'll take that back up!" Falcon hollered into the comm as Ant Man enlarged again, wrapping his legs around Sam's neck, taking them both down.

"On it!" Kayla yelped as she ran from the security center, leaving Tiffany to watch the feed.

When Kayla arrived outside, she found the field empty, only Zawadi a ways off, head perked at the sight of her. "Falcon, what's your twenty?" She asked, shifting nervously as she looked around. Was Sam shrunk now too?

All of a sudden, Falcon came flying out of the side of the storage part of the facility, where all of Stark's father's tech was held now that they had built on Howard Stark's old storage unit. He was flying erratically, yelling that he was inside his pack.

"Sam!" Kayla cried out as she began running quickly after the Falcon as he careened farther and farther away from the base.

His wings malfunctioned and retracted and he came crashing to the ground, scraping along the dirt on his back, his pack protecting his spine from the fall. He stood quickly and looked around rapidly, but his goggles didn't pick up the little man anywhere as Kayla skid to a stop near him. He had lost the intruder. He pulled off his glasses and his eyes met the blondes as she panted, having to run quite far to catch up with the soldier.

"It's really important to me that Cap never finds out about this." He pleaded, embarrassment evident on his face.

"Oh, he's gonna find out. Unless..." Kayla placed one hand on her hip and the other to her chin thoughtfully.

"What do you want?"

"I'll think of something." Kayla shrugged, brushing the dirt off him before they started the trek back to the base.

When they arrived, they saw the quinjet landing on the pad. Sam and Kayla shared a glance and a smile and she winked at him as she took off running to meet the team.

"Steve!" She cried out as she bounced toward her fiance, and he was the first one off the jet to greet her. She jumped into his arm, wrapping her legs around him as she kissed him lovingly. "How was the mission?"

"It was good. Thankful to have Vision and Wanda on the team. They were a great asset." He said as he nodded toward the pair as they walked off the quinjet, next to each other but far away. He turned back to Kayla as Nat closed up the jet, "What about you? Anything interesting happen here?"

Kayla looked to Sam, a pleading look in his eyes, then turned back to Captain America. "Nothing too big."

* * *

 **March**

"Get in loser, we're going shopping!" Tiffany called from her convertible outside of the Avengers Facility.

"Not so sure going out shopping is a great idea... I'll just have someone come here and make my dress." Kayla muttered as she wrung her hands together nervously, being guided by Nat and Wanda. When even Natasha Romanoff is going shopping, she knew she couldn't get out of it easily.

"It'll be fine. We'll stay low key. It's been almost a year, everybody thinks you are dead." Tiffany whined, banging the horn to get the three to hurry up. Wanda opened the door and ushered Kayla in, before using her powers to float up and into the backseat near Natasha. Once everyone was in and buckled, Tiffany slammed her foot onto the gas pedal and the four sped down the road yelling as they went.

Kayla's hair had gotten long again and she hadn't dyed it again, so her naturally dark blonde hair was taking over, the caramel lowlights still intertwining towards the bottom. It blew wildly towards Wanda in the backseat, who sat with a tight smile perched on her lips. Wanda appreciated being included, she'd never really had girlfriends, only her brother for so long. It was nice to have this support system, especially as she got better at using her powers and being in the field.

Natasha kept her guard up, she'd let the Avengers get close to her, and that was a liability. She cared about Kayla and wanted to support her, but she couldn't let herself be as open with Tiffany and Wanda. She had to protect her heart as much as she had to protect her life. It wasn't easy being a spy. It was even harder being an Avenger.

Tiffany parked the deep blue convertible in front of a little boutique in Upstate New York, the closest wedding gown store she could find on google maps. They had to start somewhere. She knew Kayla had dreamed of her wedding, as every girl had, but she was keeping her dream wedding close to her chest. It was because her dream wedding included her parents, and this wedding couldn't. Over the past three months that Tiffany had lived in the base, Kayla had rejected the idea of reaching out, not wanting to burden her mother and father with the truth of her existence.

So Kayla put off wedding planning and tried to avoid the subject. But Tony was calling, asking what their plans were and where his money was going. And Kayla couldn't say she hadn't decided forever. Steve was patient with her, suddenly seeing her balking at the commitment, not because she didn't want to marry him but because the idea of getting married was scary for the woman. Steve finally put his foot down, and set a date, telling Kayla he wanted to marry her the end of July, and that she had four months to help him plan the wedding, or _he_ would tell the former President that she was still alive.

This ultimately led to Kayla making decisions and letting her opinions be known. She ordered red flowers and blue linens, opting to go with her fiance's color scheme which he begrudgingly agreed with. She decided to get married by the lake out back, with her bridesmaids in long blue dresses that they could choose on their own. She ordered a large cascading bouquet of bright red roses and set up catering from a small town diner nearby the base to give them some business.

All that was left was the dress.

Steve had been an integral part in the wedding planning, standing like the loyal soldier he was at his girl's side as she made choices about the day. His gentle presence came across as doting to the vendors, but the rest of the team knew he was just making sure she was going through with it. He hid his panic well from Kayla, but Natasha could see the man was worried she would back out of the engagement.

 _As Kayla walked the perimeter of the lake with the wedding planner, Steve stood back and Natasha sidled up to him. "You're worried she'll leave you."_

 _Steve turned to face the redhead, his face hard. He was too proud to admit he was scared. But he couldn't lie, not to his teammate, so he just didn't say anything._

 _"She loves you more than anything. She wants to marry you. She just misses her parents. This isn't what she imagined, and she's scared to take that leap." Natasha continued, urging the soldier to open up to her._

 _"Do you think I should reach out to them?" Steve asked earnestly, his features softening._

 _"No. No, it has to be her. She has to be ready to face the consequences of what she's done. And she's scared of that. Just... push her in the right direction. She may seem disinterested, but its the wedding, not the marriage, that she's rethinking." Natasha explained before waving pleasantly at Kayla who turned their way._

That memory replayed in Natasha's mind as they left the car, entering the bridal shop. Kayla had seemed resigned to the idea of the little wedding by the lake, and Tiffany had run away with it, ready to do everything in her power to make her best friend's wedding everything she wanted it to be. But Natasha could see Tiffany was pressuring the woman to reach out to her family as much as Steve was. Tiffany knew Kayla better than anyone, even Steve, so Natasha followed the little brunette's lead when she demanded the women take Kayla dress shopping. It may not have been her mother, but Kayla wanted to be surrounded by her friends.

"Hello, we have an appointment for Dawn Rogers." Tiffany greeted the saleswoman as her little high heels clicked their way over to the receptionist's desk. They had become accustomed to using Kayla's middle name and Steve's last name for appointments because her own last name would raise eyebrows with the resemblance.

"Welcome Miss Rogers, right this way, is there anything, in particular, you are looking for? Any styles, colors?" The raven-haired saleswoman in her early twenties led the four women around the racks, past several mannequins wearing beautiful gowns. Kayla looked around, trying to find what she was looking for.

"Ummm, something simple, not too flashy. Ivory, not pure white." Kayla listed her requirements, causing Tiffany and Natasha to look to each other questioningly.

"Really, Ka- Dawn?" Tiffany corrected, pulling herself to together as she pulled down her red skater dress, "You normally like things to be more blingy."

Kayla flashed a small, genuine smile at her friends and nodded once, "Normally, yes, but this is no normal day."

"No. No, it is not." Tiff agreed, pushing her hands into her pockets as Kayla went back to looking at the dresses the saleswoman showed her. The woman grabbed three dresses, ranging from a mermaid fit to a ballgown to a long lace number with sheer sleeves.

As Kayla followed the woman to the dressing rooms while the other three sat on the white couches in front of three mirrors and a pedestal, waiting for the show. Before Kayla reached the changing room though, she was distracted by an ivory satin gown on a mannequin. "What's this?" She asked as she ran her fingers along the silky fabric. A V-neckline met a lace belt going across the stomach, and small lacey flutter sleeves covered the shoulders of the plastic bust. There were lace details from the sleeves across the thick satin straps, giving the smooth fabric a softer feel.

"That? It's a replica of the owner's grandmother's wedding dress. She was married in 1943, during the height of the war. They were married for almost seventy years before she passed away. The owner spent months recreating this dress from old photos of their wedding." The saleswoman explained proudly, also touching the satin fabric longingly. "It's quite stunning isn't it?"

"Is it for sale?" Kayla asked quickly, looking for a price tag.

The saleswoman's mouth opened and closed like a fish, stammering to find the right words for the curious blonde, "Yes, but, it's one of a kind. I'd have to get the owner's permission for you to even try it on, and I want to say the price is over twenty thousand dollars-"

"Price is no factor, please ask if I can try it on. Whatever it costs, I'll pay it." Kayla informed the lady as she stroked the dress lovingly. For the first time during wedding planning, she really _wanted_ something. It was there before her, and Steve would absolutely love it. She needed to have it.

"What's this I hear about someone wanting my grandmother's dress?" The owner of the store appeared from the back, followed by the nervous saleswoman. The woman had brown hair that was beginning to grey at the roots, cut in a thick bob around her chin. She had slight crows feet around her eyes, but she looked to be about in her fifties as she walked confidently towards the group. She eyed Kayla suspiciously, then turned to take in her three friends. Her gaze landed on Natasha, eyes narrowing at the redhead. "I recognize you." She said simply.

Natasha shrugged her shoulders easily, meeting the woman's gaze. "I don't believe we've met."

The owner looked from Natasha to Wanda, then back to Kayla caressing the vintage dress. "Jane, take the dress to the changing room. Let the girl try it on."

"But Miss Johnson-"

"We never say no to the customer Jane, that's not polite. Especially when it's our new neighbors asking." She turned from the saleswoman to Natasha, eyeing her again as she continued to speak. "The local vendors have been all abuzz about a wedding at the Avengers Compound. Very hush hush, they don't know who this Dawn Rogers is because she's going by her fiance's last name. They all say Captain America must be the groom since he's always there with the girl."

"Captain America?" Jane looked up from unbuttoning the dress on the mannequin and Kayla blushed as she took a step away from the woman.

The owner, Miss Johnson, and Kayla met each other's eyes for a moment, and the owner smiled sadly as Jane finally released the dress and made her way to the changing room. Once she was out of the room, Miss Johnson added quietly, "It's funny, Tony Stark seems to be footing the bill. I wonder who this girl is that her parents aren't paying instead."

"My parents think I'm dead." Kayla blurted quickly, causing her three friends to gawk at her for telling her secret so boldly.

Miss Johnson nodded thoughtfully, taking in Kayla's answer, "I wondered if that was the case. Captain America doesn't seem like the type of man to move on so quickly after the death of his girlfriend. Now come, I'll help you into the dress."

Miss Johnson ushered Kayla into the room as Jane came out carrying the other dresses she'd suggested. Jane went back to the receptionist desk and Tiffany leaned over to Natasha and Wanda, "I can't believe she just blurted out who she is!" She hissed to the other women.

"I didn't realize so many people knew about the wedding. Maybe we should have had someone come to us..." Wanda added, her thick accent disguising most of her words as she whispered.

"It's fine. This woman isn't going to tell anyone. She's even keeping her saleswoman out of the loop. Besides, the confidentiality agreements aren't doing much good at the compound, what's the difference between them coming to us and us going to them at this point?" Natasha argued easily, leaning back in her chair as Miss Johnson opened the door to the changing room, followed closely behind Kayla in the dress.

"It's a little tight." She mumbled as she looked in the mirror, her toned stomach pulling against the fabric of the dress. The small lace flutter sleeves made her arms look more feminine though, and the long satin train flowed behind her elegantly.

"I can take it out easily dear, the belt is easy to add to." Miss Johnson assured, turning her around to face her friends. "Do you like it?"

Kayla looked at her three friends, gauging their reaction, but they all waited with baited breath for her response before they gave their own opinions. Kayla's eyes began to water as she looked over her shoulder at the mirror, seeing the long train flowing behind her with the buttons all the way up the back. "I love it. It's perfect."

"Yes. Yes it is." Wanda stated the first to speak. "You look like a princess."

"Yeah, what she said. Steve will love it so much." Tiffany said, her lips twisting up into a smile as she looked over her best friend. Natasha just gave a nod of approval, all Kayla would get from the assassin on the matter. But she could see Natasha thought it was perfect for marrying Steve too.

"I'll let it out around your torso a little so it isn't so tight on your muscles, but I'll keep it tight around your bum so he can see your curves." Miss Johnson explained as she turned Kayla around to see herself in the mirror again, the blonde laughing as she wiped away the tears coming from her green eyes.

"Thank you. And thank you for keeping my secret." She murmured, giving the woman a hug as she motioned for her assistant to come back over and help Kayla out of the dress.

"Of course dear. I hope this brings you happiness. You will look absolutely stunning. It would make my grandmother proud." Miss Johnson wiped away more of Kayla's tears at that while Jane began to unbutton the back. Once unbuttoned, Miss Johnson guided Kayla back into the changing room to finish stripping it off. Before opening the door back to the real world, she offered one last piece of advice, "Don't get married without your parents dear. You'll always regret it if they aren't there."

Kayla nodded, her words caught in her throat. She needed to tell them the truth, she needed her father to walk her down the aisle. She needed her mother to help her into her dress. Finally, after not being able to come up with an answer to the woman's words, she asked, "How much do I owe you for the dress?"

Miss Johnson shook her head, seeing the girl avoiding the real problem of telling her parents she was alive, "It's yours. It would be an honor for you to have it. I don't need Mr. Stark's money. Take it for free." Kayla opened her mouth to argue but the woman put up a hand to stop her, then opened her arms for a hug from the woman, settling on that as payment enough.


	47. Chapter 47

**April**

As the sun rose over the Avengers Facility the next day, Kayla heard rustling through the wall of her apartment. She opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling. It wasn't even enough to wake Zawadi, who snored quietly at the foot of her bed. But she could hear movement coming from Steve's apartment. Not the usual noise. Every morning he would wake up, get dressed, go for a run around the complex, come back, shower, then prepare for whatever training or mission today held. Today though, he was already wearing his heavy boots as he stormed his way around the apartment.

He was preparing to leave.

Kayla rose quickly, causing her dog to raise his head sleepily. She raised a finger to her lips to keep him quiet. Whether or not the dog understood, he laid his head down and went back to sleep. Kayla crept to the front door, pulling her silk bathrobe around her tightly, listening through the soundproof walls. She had super hearing, and Steve was being super loud, so it was quite easy to tell what was happening this morning.

Once his door swung open, she mimicked the gesture, facing him across the hallway. He looked guilty, clearly, he'd been caught and hadn't wanted her to know he was leaving, which only made Kayla more curious about what he was doing.

"You going on a mission without saying goodbye?" She asked darkly, more of a threat than a question.

She could see the wheel's in Steve's head turning, trying to come up with an explanation without lying, but without telling her the truth. When Steve didn't want her to know something, he never lied, he just didn't tell her. "Last minute mission. Very time sensitive. We've been tracking this target for months."

"Oh yeah?" This was the first Kayla was hearing about this. "Who's all going?"

"Nat, Sam, Wanda, and I." He answered simply, closing his door. "Now if you excuse me, I have to go." He gave her a quick peck on the lips, then started walking quickly down the hall. Kayla stood there, momentarily mesmerized by his kiss and quick exit before realizing she had to follow him for more information.

She quickly caught up with him, running barefoot through the living quarters as Steve made his way towards the main center. Once they were in the Headquarters, Steve stayed focused on where he was going while Kayla trotted just behind him, barefoot in her bathrobe.

"Steve, wait!" She called out, and when he reached the prep room door he stopped and turned to her. Kayla could see Nat and Wanda already in there, Natasha fitting her undercover outfit with weapons while Wanda avoided Kayla's gaze by staring at a closet. "Why are you all keeping this a secret from me?"

"Please Kayla, this is just one mission I need you to stay in the dark on. I will tell you when it's done. I don't want you to worry." Steve grabbed her shoulders comfortingly, but his words brought her the opposite.

"I'm very worried because you are keeping things from me. No secrets. Steve Rogers doesn't keep secrets, especially from his future wife." Kayla argued, sizing up the super soldier.

Steve opened his mouth to answer but Natasha took over the conversation, not afraid to confront the blonde, "Look, Kayla, this is need to know, and you don't need to know. You're a little too close to the subject matter, and quite frankly I made the call to keep you out of it. As Steve said, once the target it neutralized, we'll fill you in." With that, Natasha closed the sliding door, locking Kayla out with her friends inside.

As she began to stomp back to her apartment, she came across Sam and Tiffany who were making their way toward the prep room. "Hey, I see you are here to see Sam off on his mission! Good luck catching you know who!" She winked, hoping either Sam or Tiffany would spill the beans.

"Nice try, I know you don't know who we are after. Neither does she. You two can hang out in the dark together." Sam responded, giving Kayla a pat on the back before kissing Tiffany goodbye and going to join the team.

Kayla growled after the man, then turned to her best friend. "They are keeping secrets from me."

"I know. But you should trust them. They are the Avengers. The wouldn't keep you in the dark unless they thought you needed to be." Tiffany bantered, turning to head back to her apartment.

"I still don't have to like it." Kayla huffed as she wrapped her arms around her torso, suddenly very aware she was in her bathrobe in a top secret superhero facility.

Steve and the team came back the next day, exhausted and unhappy. Their mission clearly hadn't been successful. Kayla was sitting in the living room of the facility, reading gossip about the Avengers on her laptop when the quinjet landed. She raised her head to see it drop gently to the launch pad, but then went back to what she was doing. Vision sat across from her in a chair, staring out the window as the team walked down the ramp. "I take it they didn't catch Brock Rumlow." He said to himself as he watched Wanda mope her way across the tarmac to the main building.

His words, however, caught Kayla's attention quite clearly. She looked up at the android from her gossip, jaw set in a scowl. "Who?"

"Brock Rumlow, the man they've been searching for since they found out he was alive around New Years-" Vision looked over to Kayla and upon seeing her face he remembered she didn't know who they were chasing and had vaguely heard rumors about why she wasn't supposed to know. "I'm sorry Miss Ellis."

Just then the glass doors to the living room opened the team made their way inside to greet Kayla and Vision. Vision greeted them with a grim smile, and Kayla stared down Steve Rogers, hatred burning in her eyes as she closed her laptop and stood. The Captain was tired though and didn't read her signals, making his way over to greet her warmly, but the only greeting he got a was a swift smack to the cheek.

"How dare you... You've been chasing Brock Rumlow and didn't tell me? That bastard is alive and you didn't tell me? How long have you known?" She snarled as Steve rubbed his sore cheek where she had slapped him. There was no denying her feelings now as she stood there breathing heavily, her demeanor burning like fire.

"I didn't want you to worry. I wanted to eliminate him without you ever knowing he survived," Steve mumbled, then winced as he braced himself for another slap, but nothing came. He opened his eyes again to look at his fiance, but she just stared at him, guilt overtaking her anger.

"You still should have told me." She hissed, her own body wanting to comfort him from the pain she caused, but her mind told her to stand strong. She wanted to reach out and cradle his cheek and tell him she forgave him, but she didn't. She should have known Rumlow was alive. Rumlow shot Tiffany. Rumlow tried to kill Steve. Rumlow killed her.

"I know, but I knew you'd be upset and want to come with," Steve argued, trying to regain his composure.

"You're damn right I want to come with. When you go after him again I will not be left behind." She demanded, anger growing again as her scalp started turning bright red.

"Bad things worse! Bad things worse!" Sam called to her, seeing her anger begin to manifest and the serum take over her emotions. At Sam's words, Kayla took a deep breath, steadying herself from the frustration she felt.

"How long have you known he's alive?"

"We found out after Christmas. When we left in February it was the first time we had a lead. It was a dead end. As was this one. The man's a ghost." Steve explained, finally grabbing Kayla's hands and holding them tight, trying to gain some sort of control over his girl to keep her calm.

"So am I." She whispered, then looked from their entwined hands to Steve's blue eyes, "But I am a ghost because of him. I want to destroy him, more than any of you." She looked around the room at the team who was watching her unravel before them. "I need to kill him myself, for everything he took away from me."

"Kay..." Steve started, but she shook her head, ignoring whatever words he was going to say.

"I'm sorry I hit you. I shouldn't have, that was wrong of me." She said simply, starting to rub the side of her head as the burning subsided.

Steve kissed her forehead gently, then pressed his own head against hers, "I know the serum makes you a little cr- hot headed sometimes."

"Nice save." Kayla chuckled, pulling away and stroking the jaw she'd slapped. She kissed it gingerly, then looked back at Steve, "Please, no more secrets. I'm a big girl, please treat me like one. Even if I can't control my emotions. I'll figure it out but only if I know all the cards."

"Kayla, you can't come with us. Rumlow is smart, he knows us, and he's one step ahead. I need you to stay safe, for me." Steve pleaded, bringing the conversation back on track.

"No, I need to come, I need to do this." Kayla struggled, but Steve simply shook his head, not agreeing to her plea.

"Kayla, no means no. I'm the Captain, this is my team, and you aren't coming." Steve ended the argument, pulling his rank card over his future wife. This silenced her, but not because she respected him, but because she was hurt by him. She packed the laptop into its bag and swung it over her shoulder, turning and silently leaving to go back to her apartment, not wanting to speak to any of them again.

"I'm very sorry Captain Rogers. I didn't mean to tell her." Vision apologized, floating over towards the Captain.

Steve turned to the android, wanting so badly to be mad at Vision, but he couldn't be, "No, she needed to know. I should have told her sooner."

Steve knocked gently on Kayla's door, causing Zawadi to bark on the other side. After a few moments, the door did not open, so Steve leaned his head against the door, speaking softly, but he knew she was there on the other side. He knew she could hear him. "I'm so sorry Kay. I should have told you Rumlow was alive, but I didn't want you to ever face him again. I thought I could take him out, sweep him under the table and that you'd never have to know. That you could go on thinking he went down with the Triskelion. I shouldn't have lied to you, but I knew you'd react like this. I knew you'd want to go after him and he'll kill you if he gets the chance. For real this time. I couldn't risk that."

The door swung open to reveal Kayla dressed in a green sweatsuit, hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. Her eyes were red from crying and her face had tear streaks on it. She breathed heavily with her mouth open, having been crying for quite some time. Steve moved in on her, wrapping her in his strong arms, still clothed in his Captain America uniform, and placing his jaw on her head as she wept into his chest.

"I was so scared when I woke up alone. I thought I was a monster that needed to hide. I hated myself for what I'd become, but I didn't think of what hiding would mean. I had the power to reverse what Rumlow did just as much as Sam, but I chose to stop existing and it's put a strain on my relationships with everyone. Even you." She admitted tearfully as she pulled away enough to look up at Steve. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I'm struggling so much in the face of our wedding. I want to be your wife, so badly. I just..."

"I know Kay...I know." He comforted her again, closing the door behind him and walking her towards the bed. Once they got to the bed she crawled into it. It was only three o'clock in the afternoon, but the couple was going to bed for a while. Steve kissed Kayla repeatedly, causing her to giggle through her tears, which eventually led to them stopping altogether as she rested easily against the tough blue fabric protecting Steve's chest.

* * *

 **May**

"Cap, you're gonna want to see this." Sam beckoned to the soldier as he sat on his laptop in the living room of the Avengers Facility. Steve and Kayla walked over to where Sam was sitting on the couch with Tiffany, looking over his shoulders at the news story playing on his computer.

It showed a blurry video of a man called Crossbones shooting several police officers in Lagos, Nigeria.

"That's Rumlow, we've got to go, now," Steve ordered, sending out a text message to the rest of the team. "Sam, suit up, gather Romanoff and Wanda. We'll need to be stealthy if we want to catch him."

Kayla caught his arm and didn't say anything, just stared into his blue eyes, pleading her case. Steve stayed strong, objecting to her begging. But then she stuck out her bottom lip with a whimper, pawing gently at his bicep.

"Fine. You can come, but you are staying in the quinjet as backup. Wanda has been working very hard, this is her chance to show off what she's learned." Steve knew if he used the young Maximoff as an excuse, Kayla would oblige with staying in the jet. She knew how hard Wanda had been training, and she wanted to get more experience in the field. Kayla was a loose cannon and didn't want to cause any more trouble.

"It's a deal. I'll go suit up." Kayla agreed, turning with Steve to head to the prep room to get ready. She pulled out her dark suit and Steve went to a glass case and put in his code to get out his Captain America uniform. The suit itself held no power, but Tony had put in extra precautions to keep the Captain's outfit under lock and key.

Kayla pulled her suit off its hangar and made her way to the changing room. Once she was fully stripped, the door opened and Steve quickly finagled his way in beside her. "You know these are meant for only one person," Kayla noted, pressed up against the wall by Steve.

"I wanted to help you get ready," Steve answered her observation by placing his hands on her hips, rubbing them gently with his hands. He flicked at the fabric of her underwear, and Kayla's cheeks began to heat up.

"We have to hurry." She mumbled, twisting around the soldier to get her suit, but he took up so much space in the small changing area she couldn't get around him easily. As she leaned over to grab her suit from the bench she'd sat it on, Steve grabbed her ass and squeezed it, causing her to lift her head suddenly and bash into the underside of his arm.

"Easy. We have a little time." Steve whispered as she stood up, suit in hand. He pulled off his own t-shirt and unzipped his pants so he stood before her in his underwear. He pressed gently against her, and the blonde let out a gasp as she felt him on her core. She reached under his arms and grabbed his back tightly, holding herself to him as she breathed him in. Then she backed away slowly, taking in every detail from his blonde hair to his chiseled jaw to his toned chest to the growing bulge she knew she had been the cause of. But she turned away, willing her flushed cheeks to go back to normal as she turned to see herself in the mirror, all lean muscle staring back as she began to pull the catsuit over her legs.

Steve stood behind her, watching her dress in the mirror over her shoulder as she bent down to yank the tight fabric over the calves. When she stood to pull it over her thighs she saw his blue eyes had darkened with lust. Kayla ignored his eyes because if she stared into them, she'd become invested in this game the Captain had started with her. She put her arms through the sleeves and zipped it up before turning to face her fiance. "Your turn. Get dressed." She ordered, and he grabbed the suit from behind her, putting the pants on first, then sitting to put on his boots. She watched him carefully as he seemed to turn his attention to his suit. But one thing she knew about Steve was he wasn't easily turned off. When he began this dance with Kayla, the world wouldn't exist again until he got what he wanted. And seeing as he put his pants on, he wasn't wanting a hand job this afternoon.

Once his boots were buckled, he grabbed onto the blue undershirt that he wore under his uniform, pulling the tight fabric over his torso easily. Before he continued though, he looked the phone sitting on his discarded pile of clothes, checking the time. "We've still got four more minutes." He grunted taking a step towards Kayla, pushing her against the wall again. She stared at him defiantly, trying to figure out what his play was. He grabbed her zipper and unzipped her suit, allowing her cleavage to spill out more than it already was. He pressed a rough kiss to her neck and Kayla gasped, her stomach tightening from the motion.

"Steve." She whimpered as he nibbled on her collarbone, making his way towards her bosom. "Steve we have to go."

"Not yet, three more minutes." He moaned into her chest, licking in between her breasts.

Kayla grabbed his jaw and yanked it up, crashing into his lips with a passionate kiss that he met hungrily. He grabbed at her ass, pulling her closer to him as his tongue explored the inside of her mouth. Desperate for breath, but unwilling to break their kiss, Kayla wrapped her arms around his neck tightly to keep her balance, because she could die of asphyxiation right then and there.

An alarm went off on Steve's phone, and he grunted angrily as he grabbed it, along with his top outer layer. He begrudgingly finished dressing and grabbed his cowl as he left the dressing room, but not before placing one last swift kiss on Kayla's lips as she zipped up her suit to come join him.


	48. Chapter 48

Kayla landed the jet in the outskirts of Lagos, putting it in stealth mode so nobody would stumble across it. Kayla prepared to stay in the jet, but Steve motioned for her to follow him, and she happily did. The group split up, Natasha and Wanda heading towards a little cafe in the city where they could get a close look around since they were in civilian clothes, Sam took off flying to the rooftops to scout from above, and Steve led Kayla to a run-down hotel where he quickly paid for a room on a high floor and led her up the stairs to it.

They set up camp there, Kayla sitting on the bed while Steve peaked out through the windows. Kayla pulled her long blonde hair up into a ponytail on top of her head, then began to braid it tightly while Steve observed. She listened through her comm as she worked, but all she could hear was Wanda ordering tea and the gentle clang of her stirring it when it arrived.

Steve could see the brunette from where he stood, but Kayla didn't want to intrude on her friend's moment. Kayla had tried to comfort the psychic as she got ready on the jet, placing a green baseball cap over her hair to make her more inconspicuous.

 _"You can do this Wanda. Steve and Nat will walk you through it. I have faith in you." Kayla rubbed the arms of Wanda's green jacket as the girl looked around nervously, the whites in her eyes bright against her normal dark makeup._

 _"What if I mess it up? I know how much catching this man means to you." Wanda answered weakly, straightening the cap on her head._

 _Kayla smiled as she shook her head, "We all mess up. If you mess this up, we'll forgive you and try again. Sometimes the best-learned lessons are from messing up."_

 _"Easy for you to say, you aren't nearly as dangerous as me," Wanda growled, her thick accent making her words sound even more menacing._

 _Kayla just shrugged, then looked over to Natasha who was placing her light brown jacket over her white tank top. "Danger comes in many forms, Wanda. It just depends on what motivates you to become dangerous. Is it fear, revenge, duty, love? Everybody is dangerous with the right push."_

After several minutes of silence and baited breath, Steve began asking Wanda questions. "Alright, what do you see?" He asked once he was sure the girl was settled down with her tea. Kayla made her way to the window, kneeling beneath Steve so she had a view of Wanda instead of the area Steve was focused on.

Wanda looked around, taking in her surroundings, but she appeared as a tourist not a spy. Kayla was proud of her for that. Wanda looked down as she placed down her tea and spoke quietly, "Standard beat cops. small station. Quiet street, it's a good target." She evaluated, but her gaze lingered a little too long on the cops and she quickly turned back to her tea for another drink, shrinking into her chair.

Steve continued to prod the girl gently, "There's an ATM around the corner which means..."

"Cameras." Wanda finished as she scratched under her nose, hiding the movement of her lips. After Steve told her both the cross streets were one way she added, "Compromised escape routes." She then let her gaze fall back toward the newspapers in front of her, both about Rumlow. He had robbed the police station, which was what alerted the Avengers to his whereabouts in Lagos, but his face was also on a different paper under the headline 'Weapons sold to Terrorists'.

"You see that Range Rover halfway up the block?" Steve asked, sparing a glance down at Kayla before his eyes darted back out the window.

"Yeah, the red one? It's cute." Wanda deadpanned, not understanding why the Captain felt the need to point it out.

"It's also bulletproof which means private security which means more guns, which means more headaches for somebody. Probably us." Natasha hissed through the comm, taking a swig of her own drink as she gazed casually at Wanda.

Wanda was beginning to crack under the pressure of their scrutiny, "You guys know I can move things with my mind right?"

"Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature," Natasha added snidely and Wanda glared at her over her shoulder as the assassin smiled back at her from her cup.

"Come on Wanda, you can do this. Stay cool." Kayla murmured quietly, cheering on the younger girl proudly. She looked from Wanda to Natasha, then at the cops laughing nearby the women, not a care in the world. She had tuned out Sam's banter with Nat until Steve pulled everyone's attention back to the mission.

"Eyes on target, folks. This is the best lead we've had on Rumlow in six months. I don't want to lose him." He looked down at Kayla, his words for her. He was going to kill Rumlow for what he did to his girl, and stop him from doing any more harm in the process. Kayla lifted her head to meet his eyes, they were soft but determined. She knew her fiance would not fail. He would avenge her death, and take her home to a better world. One without that son of a bitch in it.

"If he sees us coming that won't be a problem. He kind of hates us." Sam muttered under his breath from the rooftop.

Steve moved from the window he was sharing with Kayla to the one on the other wall, hearing honking coming from the street. "What is it?" Kayla asked quietly, keeping her voice low and unbothersome. Steve's eyes were locked on a big red garbage truck making its way through the square.

"Sam, see that garbage truck? Tag it." Steve ordered as he placed his hand to his ear, eyes focused on the truck as it crashed into several cars on the side of the road.

Sam sent out his drone Redwing to examine the garbage truck, and his response sent the team into combat mode. "Trucks loaded for maximum weight. Drivers armed."

"It's a battering ram," Natasha observed behind blue sunglasses, face calm as it was before.

"Go now!" Steve ordered, and when Wanda asked why he responded, "It's not hitting the police." With that Steve rushed out of the room, turning one last time to Kayla, a finger in the air, "You said you'd wait here!"

"I'm staying!" She yelped as she shooed Steve out the door, rushing back to her open window to see the chaos below. She saw Sam freefalling from the building, wings spreading just before he hit the ground. Natasha stood quickly, dropping a wad of bills onto the table before briskly making her way to her motorcycle parked outside the cafe. Wanda wasn't as smooth, rising quickly, fiddling with her money, and eventually leaving everything she'd been given on the table as she began to sprint after the garbage truck. "Easy kid, let the boys check it out first," Kayla assured Wanda as she saw Steve run out the back door and be picked up by Sam who swooped down just in time to grab him.

Kayla listened over the comms as machine guns went off, she could hear the sound of shattering glass and the bullets ricocheting off of Cap's shield. Finally, Steve gave his analysis of the situation, "Body armor, AR 15s, I make seven hostiles."

"I make five," Sam said calmly over the comm. At least they were taking out the hostiles easily.

Then Kayla heard Wanda's voice call for Sam, and he answered "Four."

"Damn it, Wanda," Kayla mumbled under her breath, pacing the room since she could no longer see what was happening. She didn't like knowing Wanda was there with Steve and Sam, she was still so young and green and Kayla didn't want the girl to get hurt. They were bonded somehow, by something greater than themselves, and Kayla had vowed to keep the girl safe. She pulled up her cell phone, tracking the direction the team had gone to an Infectious Disease Center. "Institute for Infectious Diseases?" Kayla asked incredulously over the comm as she shoved her phone in her suit and put on her mask. She darted towards the door until she heard Sam alert the team that Rumlow was on the third floor.

Kayla stopped in her tracks, knowing Steve would go after Rumlow, and knowing she had to get to them quickly to help because this was turning into more of a situation than they had planned. Kayla turned back towards the windows and took a deep breath before running full speed ahead, crashing through the glass and falling to the ground below. Before she reached the ground, Kayla managed to grab onto a flagpole outside the hotel and swing from the pole to the ground, softening the blow. She took off running in the direction the others had gone, clearly, Wanda had flown to get there as fast as she did. It was easy to find where the group had gone, as poisonous gas spun in a cloud of smoke, making its way higher and away from any civilians. Kayla smiled as she ran, knowing Wanda was going well.

Kayla picked up speed, hearing that Rumlow had a biological weapon. "I'm on it," Romanoff answered as Kayla skid to a stop, seeing Natasha slide off her bike through the gaping hole at the Institute for Infectious Diseases. Natasha easily took out her opponents, until one dressed in thicker gear than the rest arrived, grabbing her by the collar of her brown jacket.

Kayla hid behind a tank, watching the exchange, formulating a plan. She hadn't exactly been called in, but she was here now, and she was going to take out Rumlow if it was the last thing she did. She watched in terror as the man grabbed Natasha's hair and yanked it forcefully to the side. Kayla shrieked, fearing he had snapped her neck, and that momentary distraction was enough for Natasha to pull out her baton and cram it into the man's neck, but he simply responded, "I don't work like that no more." Then he threw her into the open hole of the tank and followed with a grenade.

"No!" Kayla shrieked, running into action, beginning to fight the man who had thrown Natasha in the tank. "I'll kill you for that." She growled as she threw a punch at the man, hitting him harder than he had expected because he stumbled back a step, then steadied himself to engage in combat with the blonde. She kicked at him ruthlessly, elbowing him, until he finally grabbed onto her arm and threw her easily towards the tank as the back blew out, spitting Nat out with it. "Natasha!" Kayla yelped as she ran over to her friend who sat sputtering from the smoke. "Nat are you alright?" Kayla yanked the assassin up roughly, knowing that had to move.

"You were supposed to stay in the hotel." Nat hissed as one of the mercenaries came at them, but Kayla swung her leg out and kicked him roughly, sending him flying back.

"You should know by now I'm terrible at following directions!" Kayla barked as she and the Black Widow fought side by side, rushing away towards the escaping hostiles. Natasha grabbed her bike and Kayla nodded, sending the assassin on her way as she turned back toward the building to find Steve and Wanda.

She saw Steve the moment the man in the tank did, and when he fired at her soldier, Kayla realized just who she'd been fighting. "Rumlow!" She hollered, sprinting towards the tank, but Rumlow only had one thing on his mind: Destroy Captain America.

He continued to fire the tank as Kayla continued to chase after him, finally gaining the upper hand and sneaking past the tank to take the lead since the man was preoccupied with his shooting. She swung around the side of the building and hid behind a giant metal box, trying to figure out how to get to Steve. Suddenly she heard breaking glass and realized the window above her had been blown out and Steve came flying out of it, landing harshly on an overhang on the building before smashing his face against the moving crate Kayla was hiding behind.

He landed on his back and Kayla crawled over to him, back facing the front of the crate to shield him from another attack. "Baby look at me!" She whimpered, stroking his face vigorously as he winced. He rolled over onto his arm, but fell onto his stomach, struggling to get his footing. Kayla held his shoulders as he pushed himself to his knees and called for Sam over the comm. "Sam! He's in an AFV heading North!"

Kayla helped him to his feet, he was hurting, as he should be after a fall like that, but Kayla knew he wasn't done fighting. Steve turned to Kayla, ready to defend his need to go after Rumlow, but Kayla didn't argue, she just kissed his jaw gently and nudged him away. "Go get him." He pushed her soldier, and she brushed off his shoulders before he started running in the direction of the truck.

As Kayla watched him go, she noticed one of the mercenaries preparing to mount a motorbike to escape. The blonde sprinted towards the man, and he revved the engine, threatening to run her over. "Okay, try it." She taunted and the masked man drove quickly at her, but she braced herself and grabbed the bike's handlebars, causing the back wheel to raise and throw the rider off. "Thank you!" She chirped as she mounted the bike and sped off after Steve, her blonde braid flying in the wind.

She found Steve sprinting over taxis into a crowded square after hearing Sam inform the team there were four of them splitting up. Widow said she'd take the two on the left, Falcon went for the two on the right, but Wanda was nowhere to be found. Kayla decided she needed to find the psychic and make sure she was safe. She ditched the bike and went to work looking around the market, trying to find her young friend. She pressed her fingers into the comm in her ear, whispering sharply, "Wanda, what's your twenty? Wanda?"

Suddenly an explosion came from the center of the square and people began to scatter. Kayla saw Cap's shield fall from the explosion and knew it was aimed at Steve. She doubled back to find the shield, grabbing it where it fell near some bystanders. "You can't take that! I found it, it's mine!" A man yelled as he grabbed at the other side of the shield.

"Yes, actually, I can," Kayla growled as she yanked the shield out of the man's hand and went running to where Steve was fighting Rumlow. She found Steve holding his own, but Rumlow keeping the upper hand, his armor strong against a shieldless Captain America. Rumlow uppercut Steve, sending him flying back into a magazine stand. Cap kept fighting, but eventually Crossbones had him shoved up against the side of a building, a large knife coming from his glove. As he thrust it toward Steve's face, Cap twisted and the knife his the building, but Steve ripped it off his hand and discarded it. Once again, Rumlow produced another long blade from his left hand, aiming it at Captain America.

Before he could attack again, Rumlow was his harshly in the back with Captain America's shield, falling down to his knees as the pain overtook him. Kayla circled the man, disgust and hatred on her face. Steve jogged to join her side, grabbing her arm, but she yanked it away, wanting to stare into her killer's eyes on her own. Rumlow removed the mask and stared at the woman, no recognition on his deformed face.

"Who the hell are you?" He spat, almost a laugh.

Kayla grit her teeth and pulled off her mask, revealing her face to the monster before her. Steve stood behind her, shielding her identity from the prying bystanders who had been watching the skirmish. He stared at his girl in disbelief, but he knew better than to interrupt her moment then. Kayla knelt down, meeting Rumlow's eyes as she sneered, "You know exactly who I am. I was Kayla Dawn Ellis, but you murdered her. Only now she's come back to repay you." She brandished a gun from her suit, and Steve's eyes became saucers. He never gave her a gun.

Rumlow looked at the blonde and released a laugh, then turned to the Captain who stood behind her. "She this feisty in bed?"

Steve's temper took over and he stepped easily around Kayla, grabbing Rumlow by the vest. "Who's your buyer?" He asked aggressively, needing to finish the mission before Kayla's need for revenge got in the way.

Rumlow just looked up at Steve, head lulling to the side, "You know he knew you. Your pal, your buddy, your Bucky." He sneered, staring into Steve's eyes as the soldier softened a little at the name.

He gripped Rumlow tighter, needing to know more. "What did you say?"

"Steve..." Kayla trailed, backing away slightly, her anger fading as she saw Steve's resolve hardening. Rumlow was stalling.

"He remembered you. I was there. He got all weepy about it, till they put his brain back in a blender."

Steve's eyes were hardening, but he couldn't look away. Did Bucky remember him? He couldn't even hear Kayla begin to call him, the whole world was tuned out, only Rumlow and precious information he had.

"Cap!" Kayla cried, trying to snap him out of it, but nothing worked, she grabbed onto his shoulders, tugging strongly, but he was stronger than her, and he was a rock at that moment, unmoving until he knew what he needed. His face was full of sadness at Rumlow's words, not wanting to believe them, but somehow needing to know something, anything about Bucky. Did Bucky know him?

"He said to me, please tell Rogers 'when you gotta go, you gotta go'." Rumlow's eyes focused in on Steve's turning sinister in that moment. "And you're coming with me." He pressed a button in his hand, Steve looking down as he did, realizing his error, but it was too late. Kayla screamed and threw her face into Steve's back, preparing to die again.

But as the bomb went off, neither Steve nor Kayla died, as the flame became encompassed in an orb of power, being controlled by the young Maximoff. Kayla's eyes flew to Wanda and she scrambled to be beside her, crawling as she couldn't get her legs underneath her fast enough. Steve didn't move, watching Wanda carefully as she groaned, keeping the blast contained away from her Captain. Safely behind Wanda, she watched as the Scarlett Witch contained the blast, and tried to lift it up into the sky. But she forced the ball of fire too harshly, and lost control of it, accidentally slamming it into a nearby building, causing the upper floors to explode and the windows to shatter.

Steve looked up in horror, seeing the damage Scarlett Witch had done. Several floors were completely decimated. Everyone inside them most likely dead. Steve couldn't hide the shame on his face, because a member of his team had caused this disaster. He was in charge, and Wanda was his responsibility. "Oh my... Sam, we need fire and rescue, on the south side of the building. We gotta get up there." Steve stared, his mouth agape, before rushing into the burning building.

Wanda's hand came to her mouth as she gasped, seeing what she had done. Kayla managed to find her footing, falling into Wanda with an embrace, holding the girl's head in her hand as Wanda's legs gave out and she collapsed to her knees, Kayla going with her. "It's okay Wanda, it's okay. You did what you could. You saved Steve's life. You saved my life. You tried to do the right thing, that's all that matters." Kayla assured the girl, turning her face away from the carnage to look at the blonde, but Wanda kept looking away, silent sobs coming out her mouth as she heard the screams of people running toward the building.

She had killed people. One of the Avengers had killed innocent people. Accident or not, that was on her.


	49. Chapter 49

When the news crews began to arrive, Kayla knew she and Wanda had to get out of there. "Where do you think you two are going?" Natasha snarled as she noticed the blonde begin to shift uncomfortably, taking a step back from the burning building.

"We can't stay here." She hissed back at the assassin, still holding Wanda tight. "They'll tear her apart."

"And they'll broadcast that you're still alive," Natasha said simply, revealing the real reason Kayla wanted to run.

"I-mmm, well you aren't wrong. I'm taking her back to the quinjet. Let me know when you all are ready to leave." Kayla said simply, and when her back was turned Natasha delivered her final blow.

"How is it so easy for you to walk away from this?"

Kayla turned back to Natasha, guilt in her eyes, "It's not easy to turn away, it's just too hard to stay and face it. It's not her fault, it is ours." Kayla was referring to Steve as she gestured to his shield lying on the ground nearby, where she had used it to take down Rumlow. If they'd been focused if she hadn't wanted revenge if he hadn't been so infatuated by Bucky...

Kayla scooped up Wanda and sprinted away from the crowd, Natasha turning toward the building, gazing up at the dark smoke in despair as Sam flew in through a window followed quickly by fire and rescue

and news crews everywhere. When she reached the quinjet, she turned off stealth mode just long enough for them to get inside, then created the cloak with them inside the ship.

Wanda was shaking, looking at her hands as she tried to replay in her head what had happened. "I killed them. I killed all of them." She muttered, rocking back and forth as the guilt washed over her again and again.

"We all would have died if it wasn't for you!" Kayla argued, throwing a blanket around the girl's shoulders as she sat on the floor of the ship. Kayla took a seat next to her, crossing her legs and leaning toward the girl. "And I don't just mean Steve and me, that blast would have killed all the bystanders as well. We'll keep working on your powers, we'll keep working on control, you are very powerful Wanda and I know you are a great asset to the team-"

"But it doesn't change the fact that people are dead. Because of me." She hung her head, ending the conversation. Kayla knew it was useless, and she knew there wasn't anything she could say to comfort the girl. Her own guilt consumed her. If she hadn't been so hell-bent on revenge she would have noticed what was happening earlier. She could have shot Rumlow before he detonated the bomb but she was too wrapped up in her own self-indulgent ranting that she wasted valuable time. Then he took advantage of Steve's weakness.

And it made her bitter to think his weakness wasn't her.

The two women sat on the floor of the quinjet in silence. Hours went by, and the sun began to set. Finally, Kayla got a call on her phone from Natasha, asking them to start the jet. The team was heading home. Wanda shifted uncomfortably, getting up from the floor and taking a seat on the left side of the quinjet, near the pilot's chair where Kayla would undoubtedly sit. She knew the others would be mad at her, and she wanted Kayla to protect her from their wrath. That's what Kayla did, she protected Wanda.

Steve entered the jet silently, making his way towards the front where he ripped off his cowl and discarded it on the ground as he sat on a bench opposite Wanda. He didn't look up, he just held his head and his hand as he sighed. Sam followed close behind, discarding his pack to the right side and taking a seat next to the witch, smiling reassuringly at her. Natasha though had little sympathy for the girl, and stopped in front of her, wanting her to understand the repercussions of her actions.

"I know it was an accident, but we are in some deep shit Wanda." Nat snarled, hands on her hips as she flung her long red hair over her shoulder.

"Nat..." Kayla started, turning to face the woman berating her friend.

"This is your fault too. We had it under control, you weren't called in. If you hadn't been there we would have disarmed him earlier."

"You don't know he wouldn't have blown you up sooner!" Kayla bit back, moving to stand in front of Natasha.

"Well, are you happy now? Rumlow is dead. You got your revenge. But at what cost?" Nat finished, moving to sit next to Steve, arms crossed as she stared at Kayla. "Now let's go home."

"Okay," Kayla responded, taking her spot in the pilot's chair as she took off for New York. The eight-hour flight was tense, Sam occasionally tried to make small talk, but was ignored by Steve and Wanda, and shot down by Natasha. Kayla tried to help him keep the mood light, but none of their teammates were having it.

The next morning when Kayla landed the quinjet, Wanda was the first to dart off the jet, making a beeline to her bedroom past Vision, who was at the launch pad to greet them. Natasha and Sam followed with Kayla and Steve brought up the rear.

"I saw the news. Is everyone alright?" Vision asked the Captain as he fell in step with the pair.

"We are all fine. There were over one hundred casualties." Steve answered faintly, looking straight ahead. "We neutralized Rumlow and were able to retrieve the biohazardous weapon he had stolen. But Maximoff caused a lot of damage. It was my fault, but she's taking it really hard."

"Perhaps I'll speak with her, see if I can help." Vision looked after the brunette. Kayla nodded approvingly, telling him to go to her friend. She knew Wanda harbored fond feelings for Vision, and the feeling was clearly mutual.

Then Steve and Kayla were alone outside the compound. He was the first to break, turning to face his fiance. "I'm sorry Kay... he said Bucky and I just couldn't look away-"

"Yeah, I noticed." Kayla grumbled, but her eyes softened quickly, "I'm sorry too. I was hungry for revenge. He took everything from me. I put a gun to his head and even still he mocked me."

"Where did you get that gun?" Steve asked quickly, not letting her confession go so easily.

"Nat gave it to me. Said I should be able to defend myself if I was going out in the field. Even just once." Kayla answered simply, beginning to walk back to her apartment.

"Keep it."

Kayla stopped and turned to Steve, surprised by his answer. She opened her mouth to ask what he meant but he interrupted her before she could speak, "Keep it, Kay. Even if you aren't in the field I want you to be protected. I'm... more vulnerable than even I thought. And you are stronger than I give you credit for. If you hadn't come in with my shield I don't know what would have happened..."

"You would have defeated him. You always do." Kayla kissed Steve on the lips, then motioned with her head to the building. "Come on, let's get out of these dirty clothes." Steve took her hand and let her lead him to her apartment.

When they reached the door, she pushed it open and Zawadi ran toward them, jumping up on Steve. "Down Zaddi," Steve commanded and the dog listened, as he always did to Steve. Kayla took off her belt, then began to unzip her suit, pulling the skin tight material off her arms. She sighed as the suit sat on her hips, finding herself in the same position as she had been two days ago before the team left for Lagos. However, this time was much different. Steve looked at her longingly, but there was sadness in his eyes instead of lust.

He felt responsible for what happened. As did Kayla. So she continued to strip off her clothes and take them to her bedroom to dump into the hamper that sent them out for cleaning. She went to the bathroom and closed the door before turning on the shower, knowing Steve wouldn't be joining her that day. What she didn't expect was Steve to still be in her kitchen when she emerged in her pajama pants and sports bra.

"You're still here?" She asked softly, walking to her stove top and turning it on before grabbing her little black tea kettle and filling it with water.

"It's been a hard day. I've had a hard day. And I'd like to stay if you'll have me." Steve stood, shuffling quietly over to Kayla and wrapping his arms around her as she placed the teapot on the stove. "Can I stay?"

"Yes. But you need to change. You smell. Take Zaddi with you, I'll have a cup for you when you get back." Kayla looked over her shoulder to her fiance, nuzzling him gently before pulling his arms apart.

"Yes ma'am." Cap complied as he saluted his girl, then turned on his heel, clicking his tongue for the dog to follow. Ten minutes later Steve returned in jeans and a collared shirt, taking his seat dutifully at the table where Kayla had two cups of tea sitting. Kayla had placed her apron over her sports bra and was baking, the smell of brownies filling the kitchen as she opened the oven. Steve took a long breath before asking her, "When will they be done?"

"About fifteen minutes. I just put them in." Kayla rubbed the brownie batter from her hands to her apron before taking a seat next to her future husband, watching him as he took a drink. "I've never seen you drink tea." She said flatly, a slight smile twisting the side of her mouth up.

"I won't turn down an offering from a beautiful dame," Steve answered slyly, a goofy smirk growing on his features.

Kayla rolled her eyes and swatted him away, "Oh don't go all vintage on me, Rogers."

Steve pretended to look hurt, sticking out his lower lip, "Come on doll..."

"Don't doll me Captain, or you'll be sleeping on the porch tonight," Kayla growled as she turned away, and Steve grabbed her waist, pulling her into his lap as she laughed, trying to wiggle away. Then he swept her up in his arms, standing in one fluid motion and carried her bridal style to the bedroom and closed the door.

Fifteen minutes later the timer went off on the oven, and Kayla came running out in her underwear to get the brownies out of the oven, switching it off as she set them on potholders on the counter, then trotted back into the room, giggling as the door slammed closed.

* * *

"Only two months until the wedding." Kayla came from behind Steve who sat at his desk, watching news from the attack in Lagos. It had been three weeks since the attack and the news stations were still reporting it, holding nothing back about their feelings about the Avengers, specifically Wanda. Kayla's eyes drifted down to the computer screen, her face crunching at the image it showed.

"What are they saying?" She mumbled as she wrapped her arms around Steve's chest and placed her chin on his shoulder to watch the news with him.

"Eleven Wakandans were among those killed during a confrontation between the Avengers and a group of mercenaries in Lagos, Nigeria last month. The traditionally reclusive Wakandans were on an outreach mission in Lagos when the attack occurred."

King T'Chaka was shown giving a speech on screen and Kayla's breath caught in her throat at the sight.

"Do you know him?" Steve asked, looking up to his fiance.

"No, I know of him. I know his kids..." She trailed off as the new ticker showed the King of Wakanda demanded accountability from the Avengers. He called them indifferent. Steve's face fell at his words and as the screen moved onto a news anchor Kayla grabbed the remote and paused the newscast.

Her jaw was stern and her eyebrows drawn. She was partially to blame, but she didn't exist. The Avengers would face trial without her, even though she played a part in the destruction as well.

Steve stared at the screen blankly, not acknowledging that his girlfriend seemed to have a change of demeanor. Both Steve and Kayla looked toward the door as the sound of news radiated from down the hall. Steve stood and followed the sound while Kayla stayed in place. When he reached the frame, he looked back to his fiance. "It's Wanda..."

Kayla motioned for him to go on, staying where she was, "I've talked to her. It is your turn now. She needs to hear it from you. You can't avoid her anymore." Kayla twisted her hands together nervously, throwing her head back to flip her hair over her shoulder. Kayla just nodded again, telling him to go to the girl.

When he reached her open doorway to her small room, he grabbed the remote and turned off the television. Wanda sat on her bed, holding her hand to her mouth as she watched. She didn't turn around when she spoke to Steve, but she noticed it was him from the corner of her eye. "It's my fault."

"That's not true." Steve shook his head as he leaned against her door frame.

Wanda tilted her head towards the soldier, "Then turn the TV back on, they are being very specific." She finally looked at him fully, surprised that he was alone. "Where's Kayla? I would have thought she'd be with you."

"I should have clocked that bomb vest long before you had to deal with it. Kayla realized something was wrong, and she tried to get me to focus and I couldn't." Steve started walking towards the girl, uncrossing his arms as he moved. "Rumlow said Bucky and all of a sudden I was a sixteen-year-old kid again in Brooklyn." Steve sat down on the bed next to Wanda, looking ahead as he spoke again, "And people died. It's on me."

"It's on both of us." Wanda added, looking from the Captain to the floor, having accepted her role in the accident.

Steve took a breath before beginning again, looking from his hands to the girl beside him, "This job... we try to save as many people as we can. Sometimes that doesn't mean everybody." Wanda met his gaze, staring thoughtfully into his eyes and seeing why Kayla always seemed to be drowning in them, following the soldier blindly to her death every chance she got. He was steady and he was gentle, and he was trying to make her feel better despite the guilt that was consuming her. "If we can't find a way to live with that, then next time... maybe nobody gets saved."

Suddenly Vision appeared through the wall to the left of them, causing Wanda to chastise him, "Vis! We talked about this." She said calmly as Steve stared at the android, wondering how many times he'd phased himself through his wall into Wanda's room. A small smile grew on Steve's lips at the androids explanation that the door was open so he thought it was fine, but Vision quickly turned to Steve instead of Wanda's questioning glance.

"Captain Rogers wished to know when Mr. Stark was arriving." Vision explained and Steve tilted his head back, remembering the request before thanking Vision.

"We'll be right down." He added as he turned to the purple man.

Vision motioned toward the door, looking out of place in his dark blue sweater and dress pants, "I'll use the door. Oh, and apparently he's brought a guest, so I suggest keeping Miss Ellis out of sight."

Steve looked up casually, not alarmed by Vision's tone when telling him to hide his future wife. This was normal whenever anyone came to the base for something other than wedding business, "We know who it is?"

Vision's eyes focused in on the pair as he answered, "The Secretary of State." He bowed his head slightly and walked out the door, leaving Wanda staring at the place he once stood while Steve sat thoughtfully, knowing this visitor wouldn't bring any good news for Wanda and the Avengers.


	50. Chapter 50

"Thaddeus Ross. That son of a bitch is the Secretary of State now?" Kayla growled when Steve told her of Tony's guest. "You know he spent years looking for Doctor Banner. He hates the Hulk."

"Well, I'm sure he hates the rest of us too." Steve murmured as he opened the door to her apartment, ushering her inside. "Stay here. I'll fill you in once he leaves."

Before Kayla could protest Tiffany walked up beside them, holding a tablet with a security feed of the debriefing room where Ross and Stark were waiting for Steve and Wanda. "Sam got me set up. We can watch from here." She explained, squeezing between the pair to find a comfy place on the couch.

"Be careful Steve. Don't trust him." Kayla warned, signaling Steve it was time for him to face the music of their actions in Lagos.

When Steve walked into the conference room, everyone was already there, seated along an oak table. Steve found an empty chair next to Natasha, Tony sat in the corner nearby away from the others. He already knew what this was about.

"Nice of you to finally join us, Captain Rogers. Take a seat." Thaddeus Ross ordered as Steve pulled his chair out, eyeing the man cautiously.

The man took a deep breath and began a story about how he had a heart attack during a round of golf. Kayla watched with baited breath, biting at her fist as she watched the feed on the small tablet.

"This man is a snake," Kayla muttered, eyes narrowing as he spoke to her team. He was calling them dangerous.

Kayla could see Ross turn on a screen behind him, showing images of New York, and then of D.C. She squirmed as a photo of her parents standing in front of the rubble of the Triskelion. Suddenly her attention was brought back to Ross's words.

"I notice you're missing someone. Both your missions in Sokovia and Lagos feature this woman." Ross pulled up a photo of the back of Kayla, her long hair braided as she threw Cap's shield at Rumlow. "Who is this mysterious blonde? She seems to always be hiding her face?"

Tony shifted uncomfortably, looking to Steve, but Steve simply shrugged. "She's not around." He answered simply, but Ross wasn't done poking the bear.

"She looks an awful lot like Kayla Ellis in this photo." He switched the photo to show a side profile of the blonde, her mask off as she circled Rumlow. "But she's been dead for over a year, hasn't she? You should know? She was your girlfriend wasn't she?"

Steve's jaw set tight, but he didn't answer. Rhodey spoke up, seeing the meeting going south way faster than he expected. "Sir, Cap lost his girl in a brutal way. This isn't her. Is there a resemblance? Sure, but she's dead. Don't harass him about it."

Ross considered Rhodey's words but his gaze stayed locked on Rogers, gauging the Captain's reaction. He gave none. Ross shrugged, "It was just an idea. But it's good she's not with you all because if the Avengers were harboring the former President's Daughter there would be even more hell to pay. But I'm not here to throw blame, I'm here to offer a compromise to protect the team."

The moment Kayla's chest started to deflate from Ross's accusations, her breath caught in her throat when he offered a compromise. What kind of compromise?

"For four years you have operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That's an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution: the Sokovia Accords." Ross placed a massive document on the table and the Avengers took turns passing it around. Approved by 117 countries. It states the Avengers will no longer be a private organization. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel only if and when the panel deems it necessary."

"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel like we've done that." Steve defended, staring at the table as Ross circled the table around the group.

"Safer yes. But also more damaged. This has been in the works for a long time, but, you've had friends in high places. President Ellis worked hard on your behalf after the death of his daughter, but President Anderson isn't as much of a fan." Ross stared at Steve and the soldier finally looked up, a look of indifference on his face. "President Ellis insisted you didn't need supervision. But he's not President anymore, and he's come to accept the Accords as the best option for the team because, without them, you're all facing prison. He can't ignore the damage you've caused and quite frankly, there's no control within the Avengers itself. Do you know where Thor and Banner are right now? Where is this mystery woman who you are keeping in the dark? Right now we don't know anything about her except she seems to have advanced abilities and a less than professional relationship with Captain Rogers." Thaddeus Ross stared straight at Steve, pushing him to the brink. "Perhaps if you agree to the terms of the Accords, the panel may grant you some anonymity. If you work with us, we'll keep some of your secrets a secret."

Steve finally looked up to meet the gaze of the Secretary of State, and the older man showed no mercy as he continued to convince the team that this is the best option. "Believe me, this is the middle ground. Three days from now the United Nations meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords. Talk it over."

As Ross walked to the opposite end of the table, Natasha asked the question on everyone's mind, "And if we come to a decision you don't like?"

Ross met her gaze, eyes cold and threatening, "Then you retire."

This caused Natasha to smile slightly, never one to back down from a threat. Kayla though grabbed onto the tablet and threw it across the room, shattering it on the wall next to the fireplace.

"Jesus Kayla!" Tiffany jumped up from her place on the couch as Zawadi dodged under the table. "What are you doing?"

"This is all my fault." Kayla stared into the burning fire on that June day, following the dance of the flames intently.

"How is any of this your fault?" Tiffany exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air as she sat farther back against the pillow again.

Kayla's eyes never left the fireplace, her words barely above a whisper as her guilt overtook her emotions, "Because if my parents knew I was alive, my dad would still be President, and he would have never let this happen."

Tiffany scrunched her face disapprovingly, not appreciating her friend becoming a martyr for something she couldn't control, "You don't know that. You heard the Secretary, this has been in the works for a while..."

"I would have never let it pass. I would have stopped it. I could have protected them from the politics of it all just by still being alive. But I was selfish, and now they have to pay the price. My father gave up everything because I died. My father gave up on them because they couldn't save me."

"You are being overdramatic right now, you know that?" Tiffany mumbled, standing to get a broom to sweep up the broken glass and plastic lying against the wall.

"If my father was still President, the Accords would be different. And the reason he's not is because I am dead." Kayla finished, finally dragging her eyes away from the fire. "I have to fix this."

Tiffany sighed, not looking up from her work, "How are you going to fix this Kayla?"

A wicked smile grew on the girl's face as she looked toward her best friend. "I"m going to Vienna."

Tiffany met Kayla's eyes and tilted her head to the side, a warning for her oldest friend, "What good will that do? You have no power there."

"My father is going to Vienna," Kayla stood slowly, kneeling to grab a piece of the broken tablet, "I need to know his thoughts."

"You're going to tell him you're alive?" Tiffany prodded hopefully, but her friend just shook her head, blonde curls bouncing at the movement.

"I never said that."

Tiffany stared at her friend, annoyance written across her face as she stood from sweeping, "How long are you going to hide from your responsibilities? You can't have it all. You can't be an Avenger and hide in the shadows. You can't give your opinions to the United Nations without telling them you're alive."

Kayla rose from the place she was cleaning, tossing the broken plastic in the trash as she made her way to the door. "I'll think of something."

"Where are you going now?" Tiffany moaned as Zawadi nudged the little brunette with his snout for attention.

"I'm going to go discuss the Accords with the team. Obviously, we can't sign them."

Tiffany scoffed at her words as Kayla flew open the door, "You don't have a say one way or another. You're dead, remember?"

Kayla stopped, but she didn't turn around. "I may not be able to sign, but I do have a say in my own life. It's my own, for the first time in a long time. I'm not going to let the government control me again." With that, Kayla began to walk briskly toward the debriefing room. When she got close, she stood around the corner, listening for Ross.

She heard the man's gruff voice as he said goodbye to Tony, and she panicked when she realized she was on the way to the exit, so she ducked into a storage closet while she listened to him leave.

As he passed the door, she heard him tell his aid "Captain Rogers is going to be a problem. I'd prepare the Raft, just in case."

Kayla narrowed her eyes as she watched him walk past the crack in the door, and eventually out of the building. She slowly opened the door, keeping her eyes locked on his direction in case he doubled back for some reason. Then she made her way toward the living room of headquarters, where she could already hear the team arguing about the Accords.

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have!" Rhodey spat at Sam as Kayla approached the door.

She entered to find the two men bickering behind Steve, who sat at a table studying the Accords intensely. He didn't even raise his eyes when she walked into the room.

Sam continued to argue with Rhodey as Tony laid on a couch, hand draped over his face, but Kayla could see him release an exasperated sigh as he rolled his eyes.

Finally, Vision raised his hand to get the team's attention, looking around the room to see if they would listen, "I have an equation."

"Oh, this will clear it up." Sam quipped but Kayla shushed him harshly as she walked up beside the pilot, turning to Vision who sat beside Wanda.

"In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced he was Iron Man, the number of known enhanced individuals has grown exponentially. In that same period, the number of potential world-ending events has has risen at a commensurate rate."

Kayla contemplated Vision's words, the meaning behind them. Steve finally looked up from his studying to listen to Vision, not liking the equation at all. "Are you saying it's our fault?"

"Potentially," Kayla mumbled, causing Steve to turn in his chair to face her. She took a deep breath, giving a deep nod before continuing, "Vision's right, kind of. Before Iron Man the world was simple, it was peaceful in its own way. There were wars between humans. But after Iron Man," Kayla met Tony's eyes, "We've had much greater threats than humans against humans. That being said, without the Avengers the Battle Of New York would have been a slaughter. Everyone would have died, not just in New York but over the world. The world needs the Avengers now because the rest of the worlds out there know the Avengers exist."

"But the Avengers would still exist under the Accords, we would just be governed. We wouldn't have to pick and choose our own battles, only the ones where we are truly needed. The Avengers didn't need to be in Lagos, you chose to be because of personal reasons." Rhodey looked between Kayla and Steve. He didn't outright accuse them of the devastation, but he might as well have as blatant as his stares were.

"Tony," Natasha interrupted as she stared at the billionaire with soft eyes, "You are being uncharacteristically non- hyperverbal."

"It's because he's already made up his mind." Steve sneered, turning his head lazily to Natasha to answer her question.

"Boy, you know me so well," Tony responded as he stood, massaging the back of his head. He went to the kitchen to grab a coffee mug complaining about them leaving coffee grounds in the disposal. Natasha watched him curiously, then her gaze fell to Kayla who was leaning over Steve to read the Accords.

Suddenly Tony's phone pulled up a photo of a young man none of them had seen before. "This is Charles Spencer by the way. He wanted to make a difference in the world I suppose." Tony looked at the photo for a moment before turning to his team, "Not that we'd know, we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass in Sokovia."

The color drained from Kayla's face as the image filled her brain. Poor kid. Barely younger than her. Dead. Because of them. She bit her tongue and sniffled, trying to hold back tears. She couldn't help but notice her fiancé seemed unaffected.

Tony downed a pill with his coffee before rounding the counter, before crossing his arms defensively. "There's no decision-making process here! We need to be put in check, and whatever form that takes I'm game. If we can't accept limitations we are no better than the bad guys."

"Tony, someone died on your watch, you don't give up," Steve argued, just as defensive as the other man.

"Maybe you should. Did she not die in your arms?" Tony pointed at Kayla with his right arm, "You get a second chance with the woman of your dreams and you throw her right back into the fire. If you sign the Accords you can be with her. You'll only be called if the panel thinks you are needed." Tony crossed the kitchen to stand in front of Kayla, giving the blonde his full attention. "Don't you want that? To live a life without fear or danger."

"Unless its life or death. Then we get thrown back in. Only if the mission would kill the common man." Sam bit back, standing between Tony and Kayla, but their gazes never moved, only locked on each other.

"We are fighting those fights anyway Sam!" Rhodey joined, stepping closer to Kayla to argue with Sam again. "It's our job. But we can't just blow stuff up wherever we want, cause damage, destroy lives, and not be held accountable for it."

"This document just shifts the blame. We aren't taking responsibility for our actions if we don't have control over them." Steve added, still seated at the table, looking over his shoulder to Tony. "Even if it's the United Nations, even if 117 countries signed this, it's still an organization like the World Security Council. People with agendas and agendas change."

"That's why I'm here Steve, I realized I was hurting people and I stopped making weapons." Tony saw an opening, something Cap could understand. "I realized my weapons were in the wrong hands. Just like you realized S.H.I.E.L.D. had fallen into the wrong hands."

"You chose that Tony, if we sign this we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go? What if they won't let us go somewhere we need to go? We may not be perfect but the safest hands are still our own." Steve argued, looking around at Natasha, Vision, and Wanda, trying to sway those who hadn't already decided.

"If we don't do this now, it's gonna be done to us later. That's the fact. It won't be pretty." Tony looked from Steve to Wanda, then back to Kayla. He knew his only chance at swaying the Captain was to sway his fiancé.

"You're saying they'll come for me." Wanda deadpanned, eyes locked on Stark.

"Yes. They'll come for you, they'll come for all of us." Tony looked to Wanda, then Steve, "They'll come for Kayla. They'll figure out who she is and then they'll take her back to her family and you'll never see her again. When they realize what she's created the government is going to commission her to create more serum and then we are back to where she started in this mess. Ross says he'll keep some secrets if we sign now. Sign now and you get to have your wedding. Reject the Accords and you might not be around to see it. None of us will."

Kayla grasped the back of Steve's chair, Tony's words sinking into her mind. The Accords were going to tear her world apart. Steve didn't turn around. He looked down at the table, wheels turning in his head. He didn't like being backed into a corner. He didn't like being bullied into doing something he didn't want to do.

"Maybe Tony's right."

Everyone, including Tony, turned to Natasha in shock. "If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take both hands off-"

Sam scoffed at Natasha's opinion, "Weren't you the woman who told the government to kiss your ass a few years ago?"

"I'm just reading the terrain." Natasha defended, stealing a quick glance at Wanda before turning back to Sam, "we've made some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back. If they don't trust us they'll lock us away. And then who are we helping?"

"No one. We all lose." Kayla muttered.

"Are you okay?" Wanda asked, rising to step towards Kayla. She could see Kayla was struggling internally. She didn't want to sign the Accords. She didn't want to sign her life away. But she couldn't risk the fate she'd have instead if they didn't sign them. Finally, Steve turned to face his fiancé, and the look she gave him told him everything he needed to know.

She was siding with Tony.

"Kay, we can't sign this. We won't be free. How do we know they won't find out about you? If they are in control they'll know when you go on missions-"

"Then I won't go on missions." Kayla whimpered, "Then I'll stay home and you will too. Unless they really need us. We could have a real life."

"I can't turn away Kay. The world needs us. You know I can't turn my back on them."

Kayla nodded, sniffling back tears, "I know you can't. I know."

"I would sign if this is what was best for the team, but it's not. Believe me, it's not." Steve assured his girl, placing his hand on hers.

"I'm going to Vienna," Kayla said simply, offering no more plan or explanation. "I want to hear what they have to say."

Suddenly Steve's phone buzzed and he looked down, his expression falling drastically. "I have to go." He rose and walked away quickly, leaving Kayla at the back of his chair.

"He'll come around. Give him time." Natasha assured the blonde, but Wanda and Kayla shared a glance as Sam glared at the redhead.

"No. No, he won't. He's made up his mind, just like you have." Kayla turned to Tony. "I'm not going to sway him. But I'll talk to him."

"Yeah, tell him to act his age and not leave in the middle of a meeting just because people aren't agreeing with him." Rhodey sneered as Kayla took a step to leave.

"Watch your mouth, Rhodey," She threatened, green eyes hard as she looked over her shoulder, "He's still your Captain."

Author's Note: Thank you so much to **d'elfe** for leaving such a detailed review! Is it weird that I appreciate you seeing her immaturity? It's definitely on purpose, Kayla is all over the place by design. She can't decide what she wants because none of her options are great. When she started seeing Steve in secret it was fun to date Captain America, but now that this is her life she doesn't like her fiancé Steve being Captain America. It's very hard for her, because the two of them want different things, but they love each other. Of course the things coming ahead may or may put a strain on their relationship. I have all of Civil War written and the thing I love to play is that we as the audience know what's going to happen, even when the characters don't. So when some should, say, lie, we know it's not true and see the impending conflict that they don't.


	51. Chapter 51

Kayla slowly made her way down the grey hallway back to Steve's apartment. When she reached the heavy door she knocked gently, "Steve?" After a moment of silence, she knocked again, a little harder. "Steve? Please let me in." She shuffled her black shoes on the grey tile, her long curls shielding her face from the world as she shoved her hands in the pockets of her sweater. "I'm sorry about the Accords Steve. I really am. I-I don't want you to think I'm siding against you. I'm not, I agree with you, it's just... I want everything to be okay you know? I don't want us to reject the Accords and then pay for it later. Maybe Natasha's right, its better to have some control over the Avengers than go to prison." She leaned against the door, listening for any movement inside, but it was silent. "We've messed up Steve... we've caused too much damage, destroyed too many lives to continue on as we have... this might be our best option. I know you want what's best for us, but, I've been around politics for a very long time, and well, sometimes its better to take the compromise than to risk losing everything, you know?" Kayla sighed deeply, placing her hand on the door. "Please don't be mad Steve, I don't want this to come between us-"

"Kay?"

Kayla whipped around, hair flinging over her shoulder as she saw turned to see Steve standing behind her. His hand was clenching his small white phone, his stance rigid as he clenched his jaw. His eyes were red, he had been crying, and he was trying desperately to stop.

Kayla closed the gap between them quickly, cupping his face in her hands to wipe away his tears with her thumbs as he started to sob again. "Baby what's wrong? What happened?" Kayla breathed as she wrapped her arms around him, rubbing his back supportively.

"She's gone. Peggy's gone." Steve whimpered, burying his face in the crook of Kayla's neck as he tried to sniff back his tears, but the dam was broken, and he couldn't stop his heartbreak from falling out. Kayla stood frozen, holding Steve, unable to speak. What do you say to someone who lost the only remaining link to their life? The life they should have had? The woman he should have married?

Kayla vaguely heard footsteps coming down the hallway, so she gently pulled Steve toward her door, opening it quickly so they could go in. He was in no state to face his teammates right now. Not with everything that was happening. Once in the door, Zawadi jumped up on Steve, placing his massive paws on the soldier's chest to balance himself so he could lick the tears away. Steve laughed quietly, appreciating the empathy the dog was showing.

Kayla locked the door behind them pulled Steve over to the couch. Once he sat, Zawadi placed himself dutifully at Steve's feet, protecting him from being sad. Kayla noticed Tiffany had kept the fire going, so she must have left pretty recently. Kayla was thankful that Tiffany wasn't there to see Steve like this, it was hard enough for her to see him so upset. So, undone.

Steve sat on the couch with his face in his hands, leaning with his elbows on his knees. His grey pants had tear marks on them, but he didn't seem to mind. "They want me to be a pallbearer. I need to go to London."

"Then we'll go to London." She answered, massaging the back of his neck where his hair started.

Steve looked up at her, sadness drowning his usually bright blue eyes. "It will be a big funeral. Lots of people there who could recognize you. It's too dangerous."

Kayla grabbed his cheek in her right hand, holding him steady as he blinked back tears, "I won't let you go alone. If someone sees me, so be it. I want to be there for you."

"You need to go to Vienna. It's important. The Accords are happening whether I sign them or not, so I need you to go and get information." Steve patted her leg, but this caused Kayla's face to fall, and she stood quickly. Steve looked up in surprise, unsure what he said to change her mood so quickly.

Kayla made her way to the kitchen and started taking ingredients out of the fridge to make lasagna. "I'm going to make dinner." Steve watched her as she turned on the stove, keeping her back to him as she worked. Finally, she looked over her shoulder to meet the soldier's eyes, "You don't want me there do you?"

Steve took a deep breath, clasping his hands together. "It's not that I don't want you there... I just want to mourn Peggy without worrying about hiding you. It's... a difficult situation. It's nothing to do with you, I just feel like I need to go alone. Please don't take it personally."

A smile twitched up the right corner of Kayla's face as she cooked. "I understand honey. At least take Sam. I don't want you to be alone." Suddenly two strong arms wrapped around her torso, finding their resting place on her hips. Steve's strong jaw sat on her shoulder, watching her cook before giving her neck a gentle kiss.

"I love you, Kay. Thank you for understanding."

"I love you too." She answered, sprinkling cheese on top of the lasagna. "Let me put this in the oven, then I'll help you pack. What day is the funeral?"

Steve hummed in her ear as he nuzzled her cheek lovingly, "Three days from now, the same day the Accords are ratified."

"If you don't sign, you'll have to resign as Captain America," Kayla mumbled as she leaned over, pushing her butt against Steve to open the oven door and put the food in to cook. "Are you sure you are ready for that?"

As she stood straight and turned to face the man, he smiled, determined not to lose. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Mmmhhmm you say that. But if you don't retire they'll make you. Which isn't the end of the world. You're almost a century old. And you'll have a family soon. A family who needs you. Clint retired, he's happy." Kayla defended, placing her hands on her hips before gently pushing past Steve to make her way to her bedroom to open the connecting door, "Watch dinner, I'll get your suit ready."

Steve obeyed, standing still next to the oven as he heard Kayla make her way into his apartment. Zawadi plopped down at Steve's foot, beginning to chew on his shoe from boredom. "Hey, no!" Steve scolded and the dog whimpered and put his nose under his paws.

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" Kayla asked as she reappeared, easily holding up Steve's suit inside a Black hanging bag.

"A few days. I'll leave the day after tomorrow, probably come back the day after the funeral. Do you think you'll be back from Vienna by then?" Steve asked as opened the oven door to smell the pasta.

"Probably. It's not like Natasha and I are going to backpack through Europe. Although that sounds amazing." Kayla bopped her head at the thought, then tossed her long hair over her shoulder away from her face.

"I'll miss you," Steve mumbled sadly as Kayla waltzed past him back to the stove.

"It's only a few days honey. It'll be a hard couple of days, but we'll be back together before you know it. And then, soon, we'll be together forever." Kayla pulled out the dinner, setting it on cooling pads on the counter. She then went to pull her dishes out of the cupboard to set the table, a grin on her face as she thought about marrying Steve Rogers. Once everything was set, she turned to her fiancé and grabbed onto him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I can't wait to marry you, Steve. I... miss how we were before. Before I had the serum in my veins. When I was just regular and you were extraordinary. Maybe we can be like that again? You'll always be Captain America to me."

Steve rested his chin on top of Kayla's head, breathing her in for a moment. His stomach was churning anxiously though because she'd already accepted that he wouldn't sign, the Accords would be ratified, and he'd have to hang up the shield. She _wanted_ that, and it was a hard pill for Steve to swallow. She wanted a regular life, but Steve knew nothing but war. He didn't think he could live without a fight. Without being needed.

That night, Steve stayed in her apartment so he wouldn't be alone. She brushed her teeth alongside him and then he went to lay in bed while she brushed out her hair. He pulled off his long-sleeved dark shirt and gray pants, crawling into her cushy bed in just his boxers. Zawadi quickly jumped up to join him, snuggling up to the man in Kayla's spot. Steve stroked the dog lovingly as Zawadi began to snore softly against the man's bare chest.

"Excuse me, that's my spot." Kayla moaned as she reappeared from the bathroom wearing a peach satin nightgown, her hair pulled to the side in a long braid. Steve took her in for a moment, normally Kayla slept in her underwear or nothing at all. The dainty gown was a sharp contrast to her normal demeanor, but it made Steve's heart jump happily. Early on in their relationship, she'd wear his oversized t-shirts for her benefit, then eventually graduated to nothing at all. But Steve could see this was something different, she had picked it out _for him_. The nightgown had sheer white straps and it hit her mid-thigh. It was sweet, not sexy, and she wasn't trying to seduce her fiance, but she'd put work into her appearance with her braided hair. She was trying to comfort him.

Kayla scootched in next to the dog, pulling the covers over herself which caused the dog to rise up on top of the blankets as she pulled them taught. He stirred and moved to the foot of the bed, falling asleep on top of Steve's feet. Kayla nestled her head where Steve's shoulder met his chest, sighing as she wrapped her left arm across him while he laid on his back, wrapping his left arm around her. He turned his head, tilting it slowly to look down at her without disturbing her. She was so beautiful and so at peace. He played with the fabric of her satin gown with his left hand, feeling it beneath his rough fingers as she breathed heavily, on the edge of sleep.

"This is nice. I've never seen it before." Steve spoke into her hair, his own eyelids becoming heavy from the weight of the day.

"The girls and I bought a few things after we bought my wedding dress. I was going to wait until after we were married, but, I thought maybe you'd like this one now." She mumbled happily against his chest. She was glad her intentions worked out as planned, and that she hadn't upset him after the terrible day he'd had.

She could feel Steve smile against her head, "I love it." He told her before his expression changed again. "Wedding dress?"

Kayla moved her face to meet his gaze. His face showed excitement mixed with nervousness as if he'd suddenly remembered he had a wedding coming up in which he was playing the groom. "Yes darling. I picked it out in March. You didn't think I was wearing my stealth suit to my wedding did you?" She jested, smiling grandly as she wiggled around, getting more comfortable against Steve.

Steve continued to stroke the fabric of her nightgown, feeling her tight stomach underneath it. He knew he was marrying the woman beside him, but it had been such a rough month and he lived such a strange life that he hadn't been imagining the wedding day. He had stood beside his girl while she made decisions about things he vaguely understood, and he knew the girls were taking her out shopping for wedding dresses, but he'd never _imagined_ his girl in a wedding gown. Suddenly the image that swirled in his brain made his heart leap in a way he hadn't felt. He was anxious for something other than a fight, and it felt amazing. Despite the hell raining down on him right now, that mental image of Kayla in a white dress reminded him he had something worth living for.

"Can I see it?" He asked hopefully, wanting to ingrain the image he'd drawn in his head with real evidence.

Kayla scoffed, kissing his soft skin lovingly, "No! That's bad luck. You can't see it till the wedding day. July thirtieth will be here before you know it. But its beautiful Steve. I hope you love it." Her words were becoming slurred, she wanted to drift off, so Steve laid his head back against the pillow, still rubbing her side as she dozed off.

"I know I will."

The next morning, Steve finally faced the team, informing them of Peggy's death and his quick departure from the debate about the Accords. Rhodey looked guilty at thinking Cap was leaving because of the Accords, but he bit his tongue, knowing Kayla wouldn't have told Steve about his nasty remarks. Vision didn't really seem to understand the significance of the woman who had passed, but gauging by Rhodey, Sam, and Nat's reaction, he realized she was somebody very important to the Captain.

"I'm flying to London for the funeral, I was hoping you'd join me Sam." Steve asked quietly, not wanting any more unwanted pity from his team.

Sam nodded his head quickly, "Of course Cap. Whatever you need." The pilot looked around at the others before adding, "I take it this means you aren't signing the Accords either?"

Steve shook his head, meeting Natasha's gaze as she pleaded him to reconsider with her eyes. "No. I will not. Kayla wants to go to Vienna though, so she'll keep me informed about what will happen next."

"She's not coming to the funeral?" Natasha asked, noting the girl's absence from the conversation.

"No. I don't want any stress on her about being caught, and she wants to see her father in Vienna. As well as hear what the panel says about the Accords." Steve explained carefully, trying to make them see it was a mutual decision between him and his girl. She needed to take the business trip not only for herself but for them as a couple. And he needed some time alone to mourn Peggy.

"Well, Stark's already back in the city working. Nat's the only one going to Vienna." Rhodey responded, looking around the quiet living room. Wanda sat quietly in a cozy chair, reading through the Accords again. She hadn't added anything to the conversation as far as condolences or questions. The witch seemed completely engrossed in her decision making at that moment, and nothing could break her from it.

Steve watched the girl for a moment before turning back to Natasha, "I'll let Kayla know you are going, if you'd have her. Help her stay undercover?"

Natasha shrugged, her face blank, "I can help her with a disguise, but I doubt her father won't recognize her. It's her decision. She's an adult. I've got room on the quinjet."

"So, this is it?" Sam asked, looking around the room with baited breath. He knew there would be no more discussion about the Accords. He'd already decided not to sign. Several were still researching, Vision, Wanda, even Natasha hadn't put her name on the line yet. But Sam knew Steve's stance, and he knew the call the Captain was making wasn't easy.

"Yeah," Steve said with a weak smile, "this is it."


	52. Chapter 52

The next morning, Steve and Sam prepared to fly to London for Peggy's funeral. Kayla was packing away Steve's clothes in the quinjet as Tiffany and Sam said goodbye.

"Okay, I have your suit in the hanging bag, your shoes are on the bottom," Kayla explained as she pushed his garment bag into the onboard closet, closing it tightly. "I also packed your Captain America suit, just in case, because I never really know with you." She stared at Steve, but he just smiled and thanked her, taking a seat in the pilot's seat of the quinjet. He wasn't planning on being Captain America anywhere near Peggy's memorial. Only Steve Rogers would be there.

"I'll miss you baby," Tiffany purred as she stroked Sam's face longingly, "I'll keep you posted on everything happening here." She looked around at Steve as he started the engine of the quinjet and then to Kayla who watched him with the same lovesick eyes Tiffany had for Sam. "I'll... start packing. Just in case we need to leave." She muttered, lowing her head to look at the ground.

"It'll go by fast, and I'll be back before you know it. Then we'll figure it out. Together." Sam pulled in the little woman for a kiss as she stood on her tip toes to reach his lips. He pulled away from her as Kayla walked off the jet, blowing his girl a kiss as Steve waved to Kayla.

Tiffany and Kayla's hair blew as the jet took off. Tiff sighed, not realizing that moment would be the last time she ever saw Sam Wilson.

* * *

As Sam and Steve flew to London, Kayla went to work preparing to join Natasha in Vienna. The redhead led Kayla to a room in the Avengers Facility that held materials for disguise. Wigs, hats, glasses, fake teeth. Anything a spy could need to fit in somewhere they didn't belong.

"Alright, we need to disguise your face. Your figure is different, but nobody should recognize you from your body type anyway." Natasha side eyed Kayla as she shrugged, both of them knowing there would be a fair share of international dignitaries at the United Nations, perhaps some Kayla knew very personally.

"What do you suggest?" Kayla asked as she began to tightly french braid her hair to put under a wig cap.

"Not going."

Kayla frowned at Natasha as the assassin smiled at her clever quip. Kayla went back to her braiding as Natasha opened a glass case with wigs inside of it. "Here, try this. It's mousy, very unlike you." She pulled off a thin, light brown bob that would hit just at the nape of her neck. "It's quiet, nothing extreme that will attract attention. Too short to pull back, but long enough to fall alongside your face. Pair it with these." Natasha walked over to another glass case, looking into it before grabbing out a pair of electric blue, thin-framed glasses. They looked nothing like the pair she used to wear when she didn't have perfect vision.

"I used to wear glasses," Kayla mumbled as she twisted her long braid to lay flat against her scalp and pull the wig cap over her thick hair. She took the wig from Natasha and placed it on, completely underwhelmed by the style and color. It worked just as Nat said it would.

"I know." Natasha answered simply, not looking over her shoulder as she began to search through a closet full of clothes the woman could wear, "Steve told me."

Kayla's eyebrow cocked as she turned from the mirror, the wig sufficiently secured onto her head, "He told you I had glasses? That's strangely specific."

Natasha's smile grew inside the closet, even though the girl couldn't see it, "After I found you two at the club, he wouldn't shut up about you. Anytime we were alone he was talking about you. Everything he loved and didn't understand. You two have sex yet?"

"Excuse me?" Kayla yelped as she joined the Black Widow in the hunt for finding her a suitable outfit, wearing the blue glasses with the mousy brown hair.

"Steve said he was nervous to have sex with you. Recently. It was last week." Natasha admitted, and Kayla could swear there was a slight blush in her cheeks at the confession. "He feels like you'll compare him to the other guys you've been with, and that you'll get bored with him."

Kayla's jaw fell as Nat met her eyes, "Why would he think that? I clearly love him for more than sex, otherwise I would have left him two years ago."

"That's what I said!" Natasha exclaimed, holding out her hands towards Kayla. Finally, she grabbed a grey suit from the closet and handed it to the girl. "I... uh, walked him through what's gonna happen, so hopefully he shouldn't be too clueless."

Kayla looked up thoughtfully and then shrugged, "Honestly whatever sex tips Black Widow can give him, I'm sure I'll thoroughly enjoy."

"You want some?" Natasha joked as Kayla pulled off her sweater to put on the suit.

"I'm fine, I've had some practice." The blonde muttered, yanking the light blue blouse over her toned arms roughly.

Natasha eyed the girl quietly. She knew what Steve knew because Steve had been very open about Kayla's sexual history. What he knew of it anyway. But there was one question Nat had always wondered, something she hadn't asked Steve and Steve hadn't supplied. "Have you ever slept with someone for reasons other than love?" Natasha finally dared, wanting to see deeper into the girl's psyche.

Kayla didn't look up from the skirt she pulled over her muscular thighs when she answered, focused on the task at hand and not wanting to meet her friend's eye. "I've never had sex with someone I didn't want to have sex with. I've just never loved a man I've slept with. Have I slept with men for status? Yes, but never love."

"I understand. I'm the same way."

Kayla finally met Natasha's green eyes, and suddenly she understood what Natasha was asking. Much like herself, Natasha had only ever had sex for work, not for love. In a weird way, Kayla had only ever done the same.

"I'm sorry Nat." Kayla zipped up the long grey pencil skirt, then walked closer to the assassin. "I often think my life as the daughter of a politician and a former CIA operative was hard. But I've seen nothing compared to you. Compared to Steve. Compared to Tony." She opened her arms to give Natasha a hug, and Nat warmly accepted it, rubbing Kayla's back comfortingly.

"I always wondered if you were actually as notorious as they tabloids said. I thought Rogers had lost his damn mind dating you, but I'm happy, in a way, to see it wasn't real. But I'm sorry, that none of it was real. For your sake." Natasha explained as she pulled away to look at her friend, then handed her the jacket to her suit.

"I didn't realize it wasn't real," Kayla admitted as she pulled her arms through the sleeves of the grey jacket. "I didn't realize how empty I felt until I found Steve. I get more of a high from a goodbye kiss with Steve than any lovemaking I'd done in the past."

"I can see why. Steve's a great kisser." Natasha blurted, fully aware of what she was saying, which caused Kayla to eye her wearily.

"What?"

* * *

Much like she had done for Steve, Kayla packed her own suit into the quinjet, just in case. She wasn't planning on doing any Avenging in Vienna, but that didn't mean she didn't need a secondary disguise. Packed alongside her grey suit and wig were a swimsuit, sundress, sandals, and coverup, along with hiking boots, jean shorts, and a tank top. Despite her earlier joking with Steve, she and Natasha had decided to make it a girls weekend, and stay in Europe for a while after the conference in Vienna. But before they made their way to the United Nations, Natasha informed Kayla she was making a last minute stop in London.

"I can't go to the funeral," Kayla mumbled when Natasha told her to bring something black to wear for the service.

"Sure you can. Wear the wig and this fascinator." Natasha prodded as she clipped a black headpiece with a sheer black veil over the girl's face. "No one will ever recognize you. We'll sit in the back. Steve won't even have to know you are there. But you'll be there in spirit, it has to count for something. I want to talk to Steve one last time before we go to Vienna."

"He's not going to change his mind, Natasha," Kayla warned as the redhead pulled her rolling bag onto the jet and placed it in the storage closet with Kayla's stuff. "He's made up his mind."

"Do you think he's making the right choice?" Nat turned suddenly, staring down the blonde, who was already dressed to join the assassin at the funeral.

Kayla didn't answer. Green eyes stared into green eyes in silence, but that was enough of an answer for Nat, who turned and started the jet and patted the seat next to hers, telling Kayla it was time to go.

* * *

Natasha made her way into the church first, followed closely by Kayla who kept her head down. They ducked into the back row, far to the right where Steve couldn't see them. Kayla was nervous, she didn't belong here. She wasn't worried about someone seeing her, recognizing her. Only Steve.

When the choir began to sing and everyone stood, Kayla's heart plummeted when she saw Steve, carrying the right front corner of Peggy's casket. His eyes her red and puffy, he'd been crying. His lip quivered as he carried her, putting the last remaining piece of his past, of the life he should have lived, to rest. He took his seat near the front, where Kayla assumed Sam was waiting for him. She was thankful for such a wonderful, loyal friend like Sam. He could be there for her fiance when she couldn't.

"And now, I would like to invite Sharon Carter to come up and say a few words." The priest said as everyone was seated.

Kayla and Natasha waited expectantly for the woman to reach the podium, but only one of them was surprised by who they saw. Kayla gasped quietly, hand rushing to her mouth to block the sound as the blonde woman dressed in black stood at the white podium, preparing to speak on behalf of her great-aunt. Natasha's face stayed calm, but she turned to Kayla, taking in the woman's reaction easily. Kayla noticed that ease, and her shocked turned to anger, "You knew?" She hissed quietly under her breath to the assassin.

"We'll talk about this later." Natasha shushed as Sharon began to speak. But Kayla couldn't cool down her boiling emotions.

When she was drugged in the Triskelion, she found out Steve's neighbor Kate was actually Sharon. Sharon. Sharon Carter? Did Steve know his neighbor was his first love's niece? But Sharon knew. She knew she was protecting Steve, the man her great-aunt had loved and founded SHIELD after. The man out of time who was bringing home the President's Daughter at all hours of the night, and oh gosh, it was _Sharon Carter_ who told SHIELD they were seeing each other. She had tried to break them up. To protect Steve from Kayla, as was her job? Most likely.

But Kayla's dark mind couldn't shake another thought. The thought that maybe Sharon Carter wanted to get rid of Kayla for personal reasons. Maybe Sharon wanted to pick up where her Aunt left off. To have what Peggy never could. What if she too was in love with Steve Rogers?

"Calm down Kay, you're changing colors, and green doesn't look good on you," Natasha whispered in her friend's ear, causing the girl to simmer slowly as she regained her composure. She didn't have answers. All she knew was the woman in front of her was Peggy Carter's niece. And the ring on _her_ finger showed she would be Steve Rogers' wife.

* * *

Long after the funeral ended, Steve stood alone at the front of the church, staring at the photo of Peggy they had chosen to display. A million emotions filled his heart. Peggy was gone. Her niece, Sharon Carter, was still here, and it was someone Steve knew. He understood why she hadn't told him, or anyone who she really was. But that didn't make it easier knowing Sharon was watching over Steve, and he didn't even know she was connected to Peggy.

"Wait back here," Natasha ordered to Kayla, who was stiff and uncomfortable. Her knowledge of Sharon Carter's existence made her queasy, and she knew Steve would speak with her again. But she couldn't confront Steve. Not now. They both had too much happening to deal with her jealousy.

"I'll go to the jet and change. Ten minutes or we'll be late." Kayla answered easily, giving one last grim smile toward her fiance as she left the church.

Natasha walked quickly down the aisle between the wooden pews to reach her Captain, not saying anything as he turned at her approach. When she finally did reach him, he began the conversation, "When I came out of the ice, I thought everyone I knew was gone. When I found out she was alive... I was just lucky to have her."

"She had you back too," Natasha answered quietly with a smile, looking to Steve. His gaze moved from Natasha down to the ground, the sullen look in his eyes breaking her heart.

"Who else signed," He finally asked, looking from the ground to Natasha.

"Tony, Rhodey, Vision." She answered.

"Clint?"

"Says he's retired."

"Wanda?"

"TBD." She watched Steve carefully as he looked towards the door to the church thoughtfully, "She was here. With me. She was nervous, but we sat in the back. She's back at the jet changing. She was very surprised by seeing Sharon. She didn't realize your old neighbor was Peggy's niece."

Steve lifted his chin, then let it fall in one swift not, "Well, that makes two of us."

Natasha gave the man a sympathetic smile, "I'm off to Vienna, and you know, there's plenty of room on the jet. I'm sure Kayla would love to have you-"

Steve sighed deeply, looking down in resignation, so Natasha approached him, trying to sway him, "Just because it's the path of least resistance doesn't mean its the wrong path. Staying together is more important than how we stay together." She nodded happily, a big smile on her face. The idea of the team being together was brighter than the future that Steve was currently racing toward. Even if it wasn't ideal, it was better than being split apart. The Avengers were her family. She couldn't bear the thought of them splitting apart.

"What are we giving up to do it?" Steve challenged, his face still stern and unmoving. They both deflated a little as he continued, "I'm sorry Nat. I can't sign."

Natasha grit her teeth at his answer. She was sure she had been right, that she could sway the man to their side. But it was Kayla who knew her man better, knowing that nothing would change the soldier's mind once it was set. Not even his team. She shook her head, accepting it was time to give up her cause. "I know."

"Well then what are you doing here?" Steve asked earnestly, there was no anger in his voice.

"I didn't want you to be alone. Come here." Natasha pulled Steve in for a hug, patting his back supportively. Steve proceeded to walk Natasha out of the church, meeting up with Sam in the process.

"Where's Kayla?" Sam asked as Natasha made her way out the front door. The pilot was sitting on the steps of the church alone, texting away on his cell phone to his own girlfriend.

"She's at the jet. We've got to go. The conference starts in an hour." Natasha smiled from Sam to Steve. "It was a pleasure working with you Rogers. Just remember, there's no shame in coming on board late."

"There's also no shame in standing up for what's right." He bantered, fighting back the smug grin on his face.

"Take care guys." Natasha nodded her goodbyes, walking towards the field nearby where the quinjet was waiting.


	53. Chapter 53

While Sam and Steve made their way to the little cafe where everyone had converged after the service, Natasha and Kayla made their way to Vienna. When Natasha parked the quinjet, there was a car waiting for them at the airstrip to take them to the conference. Natasha greeted the driver warmly and introduced her assistant Dawn Rogers. The mousy brunette pushed her thin glasses further up her nose and smiled shyly as the two slid into the car.

When they arrived, the scene was much more chaotic. Police officers guarded barriers keeping spectators from the road as reporters informed their various countries' news stations about the events unfolding. Kayla gulped nervously as she watched the cameras flash, quickly taken back to the days of her past when she was the most interesting news story.

"Don't worry. They won't pay you any mind. No need to be nervous." Natasha cooed comfortingly, but Kayla met her glance with a cold eye. Just because she wasn't the center of attention didn't mean the situation didn't give her terrible anxiety.

Their driver parked the car at the entrance and got out to open the door, cameras flashing as Black Widow exited the car, making her way towards the steps of the building.

"Miss Romanoff, have you signed the Sokovia Accords?"

"Miss Romanoff, have all of the Avengers agreed to the terms?"

"Is there a reason you are the only one here today Black Widow?"

Natasha and Kayla ignored the flashes, Kayla holding paperwork tightly to her chest to give the appearance she was meek. It was far from the truth, but the hunched stance and nervous tendencies threw off anyone who may think she was more than Natasha's assistant.

Once they entered the large conference room, Kayla looked around nervously for anyone she may know. She didn't see her father anywhere, which relieved her for now, but she knew it wouldn't last long. She spotted a familiar frame standing near the large glass windows, looking out at the press below.

"T'Challa." Kayla gasped, lowering her glasses to get a better look at the man without the glass.

Natasha looked from the sharply dressed man to Kayla, trying to figure out if he was an ex-lover, "You know each other?"

"Yes. I met him in Wakanda when I spent several months there. His sister if a good friend of mine. She gave me Zawadi." Kayla murmured, growing quiet as a brunette woman approached Natasha to ask for her signature. Kayla smiled timidly at the woman as Natasha wrote her name on the form, but she tensed when she saw T'Challa approaching Natasha. In order to distract him from seeing her fear, she bowed quickly, knowing he would chastise her for it. "Your Highness." She curtsied quickly, bowing her head so her hair covered her face. His presence caused Natasha to turn quickly, her hair flinging over her shoulder as she faced the Prince.

"No need for that here Miss. I am no Prince in Vienna, only a man hoping to make a better world." He said quietly before turning his attention to Natasha, giving Kayla some reprieve from his gaze. "I suppose neither of us is used to the spotlight."

Natasha edged closer to the man, a flirty smile on her lips, "Well, it's not always so flattering."

"You seem to be doing alright so far." T'Challa answered, giving the redhead a skeptical smile. "Considering your last trip to Capitol Hill, I wouldn't think you'd be particularly comfortable in this type of company."

"Well, I'm not." She batted her eyelashes at him and tilted her head, catching Kayla's stunned expression from the corner of her eye.

 _Is she flirting with the Prince of Wakanda?_

Kayla rolled her eyes, then turned to look around the room again. She knew that President Anderson was unable to make the trip due to a former commitment in South America, but that didn't mean other dignitaries weren't in attendance from the United States. She saw a couple of men she recognized, and that's when she finally saw her father.

"Excuse me a moment." She mumbled to Natasha as she bowed her head slightly to T'Challa before ducking away. He stared after her, taken out of their previous conversation for a moment.

"Your assistant seems familiar, but I can't place where I've seen her before. I don't have much access to the outside world, which makes it very strange, but I feel like I know her." T'Challa uttered, before turning back to Natasha, "No matter, I'm glad you are here Miss Romanoff."

Kayla wandered away from the assassin and prince, slowly making her way toward the American representatives. She pushed her glasses further up her face and took a deep breath. She didn't have a plan. She didn't know what she hoped to accomplish, she just needed to talk to her father. He looked older. His hair was turning gray. He'd had wrinkles on his face before, but the frown lines had become more prominent. He looked thinner. It broke her heart as she approached, trying to think of what to say. Her feet carried her up to the men, and she blurted out, "Excuse me, I'm with the press team for the Avengers. I was wondering if I could get a quote about your opinions on the Sokovia Accords?"

Mr. Ellis looked up at the mousy brunette, her voice ringing familiarly in his ear. "What?"

Another man restated her question, "She wants a statement for the Avengers." The man turned to the assistant, "Isn't our presence statement enough? We support the Accords. The Avengers need to be put in check. The panel here at the United Nations will oversee them from now on."

"What about the Avengers who haven't signed?" The girl prodded, writing furiously on her notepad, close to her face to block it even more than her hair already did. That didn't stop Mathew Ellis from staring intently at her.

Everyone except Ellis laughed, "I've been told they'll retire. By choice or by force. It's a shame Cap isn't supportive of the Accords. We'll miss him."

"I was hoping after everything that's happened he'd understand." Mr. Ellis finally spoke, never taking his eyes off the girl as she looked up slowly from her pad, "I lost a great deal because of Captain Rogers, as I'm sure you know. I would have liked to have seen him today."

The two stared at each other. He could see his daughters eyes behind the brown contacts. At least, he wanted to. It was her voice. The way she shifted nervously when she didn't know what to say. The way she seemed to ignore everyone else but him. But Kayla Ellis, his little girl, was dead. She'd been dead for two years and even though this girl reminded him of her, he knew it couldn't be true.

"I didn't catch your name?"

"Dawn Rogers. She's my assistant." Natasha interrupted as she came to join the men. Suddenly a voice stated it was time to be seated as the assembly was now in session. "Come on Dawn, let's get to our seats.

"I'll join you ladies, if that's alright." Mathew Ellis asked, taking a long step to match pace with Black Widow and Kayla. The women exchanged a blank glance, but Natasha answered for them.

"Of course."

Natasha led them to the second tier of seats, and the three sat behind a counter, a microphone in front of Natasha, and one in front of Ellis, Kayla seated uncomfortably between them. Kayla threw Natasha a worried glance as King T'Chaka took to the podium to speak.

As the King spoke, Kayla noted T'Challa stood near the window to the left of his father, watching his speech while occasionally glancing outside. "I am thankful for the Avengers for supporting this initiative."

Suddenly Kayla saw T'Challa move closer to the window, his full attention below instead of his father. "Somethings happening," Kayla whispered to Natasha, but the redhead swatted her away, dismissing her panic. Mathew Ellis turned to the woman beside him, getting a close look at her while she was distracted.

Natasha looked to T'Challa as he looked worriedly to his father speaking. She suddenly realized Kayla had been right as the man ran toward the podium and yelled, "Everybody get down!"

Natasha went to protect the man on her right, and Kayla flung herself onto her father, taking the force of the explosion as the windows blew into the room, shattering into people. Moment's later the room was filled with black smoke and debris, and there were bodies lying around. Kayla coughed as she looked up over the shattered counter, seeing T'Challa cradling his father. The king was dead. She looked back down at her own father, panic in her face as she flung the glasses to the side and broke them among the shattered glass. "Daddy!" She cried as she held him, pressing her ear to his chest to hear his heartbeat. He was alive. "Dad! Dad look at me!" She cried out, patting his face as she looked around in panic. Even Natasha was knocked out next to her, "Natasha! Natasha wake up!" She shook the redhead violently, starling her awake.

"Oh my God." Natasha looked around at the destruction, then to Kayla. She couldn't speak, she was shocked. She was scared. They had almost died.

"Kayla?" A groan came from the ground to the left of the women, and they looked down to see Ellis staring up at them. He had a gash in his head from the explosion, but he was pointing at the girl's back.

"Gaahhh." Kayla gagged as she realized there was a shard of metal sticking out of her own spine, she'd taken the hit of debris and in the aftermath hadn't even felt the pain. Her awareness caused her senses to awaken and the ache came quickly, drowning her in agony. "Nat-"

"I'm on it." Natasha gently grabbed the metal shard and carefully pulled it out, Kayla grabbing onto the ground as she did. The girl's eyes met her fathers, and she smiled weakly.

"It's good to see you Dad."

Mathew Ellis laughed. In the middle of the death and devestation, he laughed. A short laugh, a weak laugh, but an uncontainable smile spread across his face, and he closed his eyes. "You're alive."

"I'll explain everything. Later. Just-"

"You're alive." He murmured again as he fell back asleep, losing blood quickly from his head. Kayla looked to Natasha worriedly, not ready to lose her father.

"I'm taking him." Kayla resolved, and she stood slowly, preparing to scoop up the man.

"You know what this means..." Natasha trailed off before coughing violently on the smoke.

"I have to save him. No matter what the cost." Kayla picked up her father, struggling slightly under his weight as her legs were weak, and her back was still bleeding. T'Challa didn't even notice as she stood, and quickly carried the former President through the debris to the ambulance crews waiting outside. As she burst down the smoky hallway, she heard rescuers on their way, and hundreds of sirens echoing from outside. She looked down at her dad, then to the sounds coming toward her. "Help! We need help!" A couple of paramedics met the girl and went to work immediately on the unconscious man.

"What's your name?" One woman asked Kayla, pressing a damp cloth against her father's head to stop the bleeding.

"Dawn Rogers. This is Mathew Ell-Ellis. The Pres- former President... I-I have to go" Kayla stuttered, realizing her window of escape was small. She hadn't planned on escaping, but she was filled with dread as other first responders rushed into the massive assembly hall.

"Miss, your back is bleeding, you need to be looked at-" The woman reached out for Kayla, but the girl pushed her away easily, knocking her down.

The woman stared at Kayla curiously, unable to understand her strength, Kayla just stuttered, putting her hands up in apology, "I'm sorry, I-I just have to go!" She jumped over the woman, lunging towards the exit of the building, but she was met with more people, more people, more people.

She tripped, on what she didn't know, and she fell hard on the tile floor, leaving a dent where her hands were. The responders nearby tried to grab her, but just as before she shoved them away, a blind panic taking over. This time though, she ran away from the stairs, and once she was sure there was no one around, she opened a room marked 'Storage' and hid, locking the door behind her. She sat on an upside-down bucket and wept. She didn't know why she was crying, but she knew she was overwhelmed. And her father had smiled. Her father knew she was alive.

She reached into the small pocket of her skirt, pulling out the phone that Tony had given her for Christmas six months prior. She called Steve, waiting with baited breath to hear his voice. But it went to voicemail. She frowned, then tried again. Voicemail. She called Sam, but he didn't answer his phone either. So she sat on the bucket and held her breath as she listened to the sirens surround the building.

As Sharon and Steve were saying their goodbyes in the elevator after reminiscing about Peggy for several hours, Sam approached them, a solemn look on his face. "Steve, there's something you've got to see."

They made their way up to Steve's hotel room, and Sam turned on the news. The picture showed a burning building and the ticker read 'United Nations Complex Bombed'. Steve's breath caught in his throat, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Seven missed calls from Kay. He quickly ran from the living area into the bedroom of the suite as Sharon was on the phone with her superiors, they were calling her into work.

"Kay!" Steve exclaimed as she answered the phone, relief in his voice despite how weepy hers was.

"I'm so scared. I'm so scared, someone blew up the assembly, people are dead." Kayla whimpered quietly into the phone and Steve shushed her gently from the other end.

"Hey, you're okay. Is Nat okay?" He asked urgently, trying to get information while comforting his girl at the same time.

"Nat's alive."

"Your father?" Steve asked tentatively, knowing Kayla would check on him, perhaps even before Natasha.

"I saved his life. He was seated next to me. I-I jumped onto him. I-I was stabbed by some metal, but I'm okay now." Her voice shook almost as hard as her hand, she was struggling to keep the phone close to her ear. "Please come get me, Steve. I'm locked in a closet. My dad knows I'm alive, and some of the paramedics know I'm enhanced. I'm scared."

"I'll be there soon baby," Steve assured her as Sam called him harshly from the next room. "Stay on the phone with me a little longer honey." He added as he made his way back into the room, knowing Sharon was too busy on her own phone to listen to his conversation. The reporter said at least twelve were dead, and Steve couldn't help but be thankful his girl and teammate weren't part of that number. He waited with baited breath as more information came out.

"Officials have released video of the suspect, who has been identified as James Buchannan Barnes, the Winter Soldier. The infamous Hydra agent, linked to numerous acts of terrorism and political assassinations."

Steve gulped, seeing the video of a man, easily identified as Bucky, walking towards the van that held the bomb. Sam watched him carefully for a moment before Sharon hung up and walked between the two of them, stating she had to go to work. Steve hadn't realized he'd dropped the phone to his side until Sharon walked away, then he pulled it quickly to his ear to check on his girl, "You still there?"

"I heard the broadcast."

"It's not him."

"How do you know. This has his fingerprints all over it." Kayla hissed, quieting as footsteps ran by. "Steve, don't you dare go after him-"

"I'm coming to Vienna. I'll be there soon. I love you." Steve hung up the phone and turned to Sam, who just stared at him, waiting for orders.

A few hours later, Kayla heard the sound of water rushing from the hose outside, and could only assume most of the victims had been evacuated. She slowly turned the lock and then the knob, opening the storage closet to peak out. When she saw no one around, she tiptoed to the opposite end of the empty building, taking a different set of stairs than the ones near the damage. Once outside, she looked around for a familiar face. She saw medical helicopters flying overhead, transporting the critically endangered to the nearest hospital. She made her way through the fray, luckily everyone was too worried to notice her resemblance to the former first daughter, so she was able to walk freely among the people. She saw Sharon Carter in a CIA jacket and rolled her eyes at the sigh.

 _Of course she'd be here. She probably rode with Steve._

Nearby though, she saw T'Challa sitting on a bench, blood spattering his once lovely suit. The memory of him rocking his father back and forth came to the forefront of her memory, and in the face of almost losing her own father, she wanted nothing more than to comfort the prince. She went back and forth in her head, knowing that her secret was about to get out anyway, but Natasha beat her to the punch, apologizing to the man for his loss.

In the sunlight Kayla could see Natasha was mostly unscathed, mostly dirt covering her face and hands, but she seems to have dusted off her dark blue suit. As Kayla slowly approached from their side, she listened closely, trying to catch their conversation. She heard Natasha tell him something was peaceful.

Death.

"My father thought so. But I am not my father."

"Task force will decide who brings in Barnes." Natasha tried to calm the mourning man, but her words fell on deaf ears. Kayla heard them though, and she held her breath. The T'Challa she'd met had been calm, but his sister said he was hot-headed. He had revenge in his eyes. She knew that look. She'd worn that look for quite some time. And look where it had brought all of them.

T'Challa stood and looked to Natasha with wide eyes, "Don't bother Miss Romanoff, I'll kill him myself."

He walked past Natasha, and Kayla was conflicted. She needed to go to Natasha. Steve would come for her, she had to stay with Nat. But T'Challa would kill Bucky. Steve wouldn't come to Nat. Steve would go to Bucky. She had to follow T'Challa. She could stop the soon to be king from causing anymore bloodshed. At least until they knew for sure Bucky was guilty. Steve was sure he wasn't. But Steve was blinder to Bucky's sins than anyone else's. Even Kayla's.

Natasha's phone buzzed, and held it to her ear, "Yeah?" She asked, waiting to hear Steve's voice.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I got lucky. Kayla's fine too. I'm assuming she'd already talked to you. I don't know where she is. She took her father and ran." She looked around, hearing the same sirens through the phone that she heard around her. Steve was there. "I know how much Barnes means to you, I really do. Stay home. You'll only make this worse. For all of us. Please." Natasha begged, looking around for him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a CIA agent get pulled roughly into a tent. She abandoned her search for Steve to see what was going on, because that was something Kayla would do. But why?

"Are you saying you'll arrest me?" Steve asked from a safe distance, watching Nat walk to the tent through his sunglasses and baseball cap.

"No, someone will. If you interfere. That's how it works now." She pulled open the curtain to see an agent knocked out, wearing Kayla's gray suit and blue blouse. The mousy brown wig was discarded in the corner.

"If he's this far gone Nat, I should be the one to bring him in." Steve defended as Nat sighed, realizing Kayla was gone.

"Why?" She huffed, more frustrated with the girl than her fiance at that moment. What the hell was she up to?

"Because I'm the one least likely to die trying." Steve hung up the phone and Natasha swore as she heard someone yelling nearby.

"Hey, that's my bike!" The screamed, and she heard the revving engine and caught the blond braid flying out of the back of a blue hat, a CIA jacket fluttering in the wind as Kayla drove away in the direction T'Challa's car had gone.


	54. Chapter 54

Author's Note: Well, I've somewhat finished writing this story? I've gotten as far as I can go before really diving into Infinity War, and I want to know what happens in Avengers 4 before I decide how exactly to deal with that. There's still about twenty more chapters in this story, but I'm going to start working on an interum story while waiting for Avengers 4 to come out! Please let me know if you are interested in reading a 'Kind of Sequel' As always, please review and favorite! Thank you to everyone who has supported me writing this story! There's still so much fun to be had! 

Steve walked into a cafe where Sam was waiting, looking down at his phone as he dialed Kayla.

When she answered he could hear the wind whipping past her, "Hey, where are you? We are here to get you."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm uh- doing a little side quest." She yelled into the phone as she swerved in and out of the cars, getting far away from the city to regroup.

"A side quest? Kay, what are you-"

"If you really think Barnes is innocent we have to work fast. T'Challa's going after him. They'll kill each other Steve. I'm following T'Challa now to see where he goes."

Steve hung his head with a sigh, "Please don't. You'll get yourself killed. Just-come back. At least come with us."

"Who's coming with you?" Sharon asked and Steve instinctively hung up the phone, and Sam shot him a dirty look for blowing off his girlfriend for the agent.

"Nobody. It's just us two." Steve mumbled as Sharon handed him a file on Barnes.

"This is all the head start you are going to get. You're gonna have to hurry. We have orders to shoot on sight." Sharon took her file and walked away, leaving Sam and Steve to head back to the quinjet to get to Bucky before somebody else did.

Kayla drove the stolen motorcycle for miles until she realized T'Challa's car had stopped. She parked the bike around the corner, and snuck quietly against the wall, keeping her eyes on the black car. A man got out of the driver's seat and opened the car door, but only a bald woman got out, nodding her thanks to the driver before heading into the hotel. The car drove away, and Kayla looked between the woman and the car. "Damn it!" She swore under her breath and got back on the bike, sending a text message to Sam before she took off down the highway. She waited impatiently for him to answer her. She didn't feel like dealing with Steve after he hung up on her to talk to Sharon, and she didn't feel like dealing with Steve when he was going after Bucky despite everyone asking him not to.

Sam sent her a text message with one word: Bucharest. Kayla put the destination in her phone GPS and studied the route for a moment before shoving the phone in her jacket pocket, before turning the bike quickly and taking off into the settling darkness for Romania.

* * *

The market was busy in the morning, everyone bustling about buying their wares. James Barnes wore a hooded jacket over a red shirt with a baseball cap, blending in well with the people around him. He'd gone far from America in the past two years, successfully hiding from the public eye despite Natasha dumping all Hydra's information on him onto the internet. But as the newsstand worker stared nervously at him, he became suspicious and made his way to the stand as the man ran away silently. Bucky read the paper, saying it was Winter Soldier who had bombed the United Nations Complex in Vienna the day before. He looked around nervously, knowing he would have to run.

Sam sent Kayla a text as she drove into town, stopping in the market to buy some water. It had been a long ten hours speeding through Europe, and she was tired and hungry. She checked her phone after thanking the saleswoman, taking a long swig of the water the woman had sold her.

 **At Bucky's Apartment.**

 **Not much Time.**

Kayla studied the address, then showed the address to the woman she'd met, pointing from the phone to the area around, shrugging to show she was lost. The woman pointed her East, and Kayla thanked her, giving her some more money before hopping back on her bike and heading off to the find the Winter Soldier.

She parked outside the building, catching a brief glimpse of Sam on the roof. She didn't get very far though, because Special Forces started to surround the building quietly. One man came up to Kayla, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder, and she tensed under his touch, glad he touched something bony and not muscular to get suspicious. "Ma'am, we are gonna need you to vacate the area." He said calmly, but Kayla feigned panic.

"Why? What's happening, can't I go inside?" She bleat nervously, looking between the man and the building.

"We are apprehending a criminal man, and he's very dangerous. Take your bike and go out. Come back in an hour." The man informed her, nodding sternly toward her motorbike. The man backed up and looked closer at the woman. "Are you CIA?"

"Yes. Yes I live here. I've been stationed here for a few months. I'm-in training." Kayla lied, hoping the man didn't grow more suspicious. He did.

"Actually, you stay here with me..." The man grabbed her arm, looking at her curiously when he felt the muscle beneath her jacket. "Don't move." He said, as he slapped a handcuff on her wrist, then the other on the railing leading into the building.

"Hey! I haven't done anything wrong!" She cried out, pulling against the metal, pretending she couldn't get out.

"You're suspicious. We aren't taking any chances. We'll be back soon." The man sneered, then left Kayla outside, surrounded by other Special Forces guards.

Before Kayla could protest, she heard the sound of shattering glass as one of the men threw a grenade through the window of the apartment. The sound of gunfire and shattering glass echoed through the apartment above, and Kayla took the distraction to snap the handcuff, and grab onto the man closest to her. She held him by the nape of the neck, using him as a shield as the other guards turned to her. "You wanna get to me?" She growled, grabbing onto the man's hair tighter as he winced, "You'll have to go through him." She was distracted when a bag flew out the window, and she bolted in the direction of the bag, needing to get away and needing to know what was happening. The guards shot at her, but she slid under some cars and used them as a shield from the gunfire as she made her way to the building next door. She crashed through the glass door of the building and looked around frantically for the nearest stairwell. Once she found it she began to run as fast as she could to the roof, crashing up onto the roof just in time to see the Winter Soldier flying from the balcony of the next building to land near the bag. He grabbed it and ran, Kayla instinctually dodging out of the way as the freight train of a man came flying in her direction.

She braced herself for an attack, but she got none, instead, another man, clad in black, flew in from the sky, landing on Bucky and taking him to the ground. Kayla realized suddenly she'd made a terrible error, not realizing the fight would come to her. She'd accurately predicted Barnes would make his escape onto the second roof, but she didn't predict the masked man that began to fight the Winter Soldier.

She shrieked as she dodged away from the fight, pressing her back against the side of an air unit. She listened to them fight, not making a sound, not daring to turn around. Suddenly, Bucky slammed against the wall across from her, pure terror on his face as the cat man flung his claws into the spot his face had been a half second before. She dodged the fight again as Bucky was flung above her, running back towards the stairwell where she came from, her braid flying behind her.

She heard a second set of footprints hit the concrete and saw Steve land at the edge of the building just as a helicopter rained down bullets on the room. To her surprise, the bullets simply bounced off of the opponent, as he rose from his crouched position over Bucky to stare at the shooters. Sam kicked at the helicopter, sending it spiraling away, and Kayla finally made it to the stairwell, closing the door before Steve could realize she was there.

She had to get out of there, but she saw that the Special Forces Agents were making their way up the stairwell now. She looked down, seeing at least twenty floors to the ground. She groaned, cracking her neck, "Here goes nothing." Then she jumped over the railing and allowed herself to fall, faster and faster and faster until a strong arm grabbed onto her, pulling her upward. She cried out in pain as her shoulder dislocated, but she stared at her friend for saving her life.

"What the hell was that Ellis?" Sam berated the girl, setting her down gently on the bottom floor as the Special Servicemen turned and started running down the stairs, she took off running, matching the pace of his flight.

"Thank you Sam. I- I don't really have a plan, I'm just running." She admitted, turning towards the building the fight had started to grab her motorcycle.

"I see that. Now stay out of it!" He yelled back as he took off after the sound of bullets, which were inevitably shooting at Bucky, which in turn meant they were shooting at Cap. Soon, as he predicted, they'd be shooting at him.

Kayla jumped onto the bike, cranking it to life as she used her heel to turn it around, taking off towards the battle. She quickly caught up with the chase and saw Barnes jump down into a tunnel she'd driven earlier, so she cranked the handlebars to take her into the tunnel as well, knowing Steve wouldn't be far behind. By the time Kayla had gotten into the tunnel, all three men were running through all the cars, their horns honking as they slammed on their breaks. The lack of movement made it very difficult for Kayla to keep up, but she swerved expertly, feeling fairly confident on the motorcycle and a little invincible despite the ache in her left arm.

She heard the sirens as a black SUV pulled up beside her, but she swerved toward them and they cranked the wheel to avoid hitting her, crashing into the car on their left and slowing to a stop. Kayla smiled as she pushed harder on the gas, pressing on closer to the three men running, until a second SUV passed her easily. She cursed under her breath as she slammed on the breaks, the car stopping in front of her. She quickly spun the bike and zoomed around the SUV, sending them a death glare as she passed them, until she realized Steve had crashed through the window and had commandeered the vehicle. Their eyes met, and Kayla swung to the side allowing him to pass her as she continued to race between cars on the right side of the tunnel.

Kayla watched Steve's side as he made ground on the Winter Soldier, passing the cat that was able to keep up with Barnes. Suddenly Kayla saw the cat leap onto the car and dig his claws into the side of Steve's vehicle, catching a ride closer to Bucky.

Steve kept cranking the wheel, trying to get the man off, but it was no use. The more he veered though, the closer Kayla got to getting slammed into the side of the tunnel by the other cars. Finally, Bucky flung himself into the opposite lane, and Steve followed through the barrier as several more flashing SUVs came from the wrong direction, blocking off their escape. They effectively stopped Kayla, and she slowed the bike, rolling it back with her feet so she was hiding behind a white van in the far right lane. She held her breath, but the officers didn't seem interested in her, only the black SUV that chased after the long-haired man on the motorbike. There was nothing she could do to help them now, except not get arrested, which would inconvenience Steve very much.

Once the cars backed up and kept driving away, Kayla took off after them, knowing they'd lead her straight to her fiance. She followed close on their tail, hair flowing freely from the once tight braid. It was annoying to have her long hair in her face, but it did a good job at shielding her identity since she lost her hat quite a while back.

She skid the bike to a stop behind an orange pillar, letting it slide away as she lept off, hiding to watch as the police surround Steve, Sam, Barnes, and the other man. She watched with baited breath as War Machine landed on his knee with a thud, aiming a hand at each man, and a gun from his shoulder at the third. "Stand down now." He threatened sternly through the suit. Everyone had machine guns pointed at the men. Steve held up a hand to protect Bucky, and he put his shield on his back, knowing they'd been beaten. "Congratulations Cap. You're a criminal." Rhodey glowered as the cops shoved Bucky onto his knees, his hands up in surrender.

The other man retracted his claws, and unbuckled the mask he wore, pulling it off to reveal his identity. Steve eyed the man curiously, having never met the prince before.

"T'Challa?" Kayla gasped quietly, moving swiftly toward her stolen motorcycle.

Suddenly everyone turned at the loud revving of the bike's engine, but they didn't have a chance to shoot. She was already gone, hair blowing wildly in her wake.


	55. Chapter 55

Kayla knew she had to ditch the disguise, she'd been wearing CIA long enough. She followed behind the detainment car carrying Steve, Sam, and T'Challa to the Berlin Task Force Headquarters, then ditched the motorcycle and jacket. She tore off the black shirt she'd stolen off the woman and simply wore the white tank top she'd had underneath her blouse earlier. She pulled her messy hair up into a knot on top of her head to be out of her eyes. She wasn't trying to be stealthy. They weren't looking for her. She just needed to gauge what was about to happen to her companions.

Kayla knew by now trying to break in would only cause more problems for her, so she sat on the steps near the water outside the headquarters, reading a book she'd swiped from a passerby's bag. She propped up her leg casually and chewed her nail as she stared intently at the book, eyebrows drawn. Occasionally she'd spare a glance at the building across the calm water, but it seemed quiet at the moment.

As she stared at the letters on the page, not interested in the words they wrote but only the worry in her head, she began to hear car horns going off. She looked up to see nearby traffic lights blinking wildly and streetlamps fizzling out. She pursed her lips together curiously as she lifted her head to get a better look, "Very curious."

The alarms of the Task Force building began blaring loudly, even on the exterior, and Kayla rose, seeing that something was happening inside. She began to walk closer as civilians began fleeing from the building. In the chaos, Kayla managed to shove her way closer to the building, almost making it to the door when she saw Sam emerge and run to a heap on the ground, seemingly searching for someone. "Damn it." He muttered as she approached.

"Sam!" Kayla lunged at the man, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. "Are you alright?"

"Barnes is trying to escape. He's like a wild animal. The man who was sent to evaluate him, we think he broke him out on purpose. I can't find him. He's gone." Sam breathed as people shoved past the pair, knocking Sam into Kayla, but she caught him easily, looking around.

"Where is Steve?" She asked worriedly, then both of their eyes flew to the roof as they heard the sound of a chopper taking off. Kayla took off running around the side of the building, Sam unable to catch up with her. When she reached the edge of the water she stopped, slamming against the railing blocking people from getting into the river. "Sam!" She shrieked, pointing to the blue helicopter trying to take off. "He's holding down the helicopter!"

Sam's jaw fell as they both watched Steve cling to the helicopter, even from hundreds of feet below they could see he was single-handedly keeping it from taking off. Sam couldn't believe his eyes, or his ears, because he could swear he heard the blonde growl, "I need to make love to that man."

He turned to her quickly, disbelief on his face as he met her lusty green eyes, "Really? Now?" She just shrugged, but their attention was drawn back to the roof when the helicopter slammed back into the launch pad and Kayla shrieked. Sam grabbed her to keep her from hurting herself lunging forward into the fence and she whimpered, trying to get a better view. "Kayla, he's gonna be fine. It's Steve, he's gonna be fine." Sam comforted the girl as he held her waist, but he wasn't doing much. She could have easily broken away if she was brave enough to move from that spot.

The world froze as Kayla and Sam watched the helicopter spin to a stop. No movement came from the roof. Kayla held her breath, unable to cry or scream. Just waiting.

Waiting.

 _Come on Steve. Come on..._

Suddenly the helicopter began to move, and the tail end teetered off the edge of the building.

It was going to fall.

Kayla scrunched her eyes, gazing into the sun. She was thankful for her enhanced sight until it granted her the last thing she wanted to see.

"He's on the chopper." She gasped, but before Sam could stop her, she had thrust herself over the rail and plunged headfirst into the icy water moments before the helicopter did.

"Kayla!" Sam screamed, looking over the edge nervously for any sign of life. He looked around, luckily no one was rushing toward the water yet. But they would. Soon. "Damn it." He swore under his breath and took off running down the river, hoping if either of them did survive he'd find them again downstream.

Kayla followed the wreckage as it went deeper into the dark water, trying desperately to see Steve, finally, her eyes found his white shirt and she swam to him, holding her breath easily. She grabbed onto his arm, giving him a tug, which caused him to look at her. She started to swim upward, but he swam down toward the wreckage. Kayla blinked through the water to see Steve grab Barnes out of the helicopter, the Soviet soldier was unconscious.

Once Bucky was in tow, Steve started toward the surface, Kayla not allowing herself to take a breath until he had. Together they reached the surface and Kayla gasped for breath, but Steve simply took in a long one, then rose his friend to the surface by his shirt before swimming toward the shore.

"Steve." Kayla choked as she helped her fiance drag the man onto dry land. "What do we do now?"

"We've got to get him somewhere safe." Steve looked around, then nodded farther down the bank, "Let's go that way, looks like there could be an old salvage yard. Good place to hide for a while. Help me carry him." Steve asked, and Kayla nodded, out of breath from being under the water so long. The two carried Bucky down the bank quickly, until they started to hear sirens.

"We should go back in the water, they won't catch us if they can't see us," Kayla told Steve, and he stared at her, then nodded his head in agreement. They drug Bucky back into the lake and took a deep breath before diving under, Kayla holding Bucky's real arm, and Steve pulling the metal one.

After a few miles, they drug Bucky out of the water again, this time much closer to the warehouse Steve had seen downstream. Steve did most of the heavy lifting, while Kayla wandered off to look for Sam. She snuck around the building, ducking every time she heard sirens. Finally, she heard a familiar hiss from behind a telephone booth. "Come on Falcon. We've got to hide." She answered when he revealed himself, and the pair linked hands, Kayla looking over her shoulder to make sure no one had spotted them. Sam didn't feel discomfort in holding her hand. He understood what it meant to be inconspicuous. The simple gesture was the difference between a couple going for a stroll alone and two criminals looking for a place to hide.

Kayla led Sam to the warehouse Steve had found, and they found Steve crushing down on Bucky's metal arm with a piece of machinery. "There. If he wakes up, he won't be able to hurt anyone." Steve breathed as she backed away from his unconscious friend.

"And by anyone you mean us. He won't hurt us." Sam clarified, and Kayla sighed, seeing Falcon's point.

"Steve..."

"He isn't going to hurt us-" Steve argued, but Sam cut him off.

"I don't know man, pretty sure he threw me by the throat. That seems like someone who's trying to kill me."

Kayla touched Steve's arm gently, "Sam's right. We don't know if we can trust him. Does he even remember you?"

Steve looked between the two, then to Bucky. "We'll question him when he wakes up. He got hit pretty hard to be out this long. Maybe it cleared his head." Then Steve walked away to stare out the crack in the door, watching as helicopters swarmed the Berlin Task Force Headquarters.

Sam stood in the archway between the main storage house and the area where Bucky was being held, so he could keep an eye on Steve and the Winter Soldier. Kayla, though, made her way to stand before Bucky, eventually taking a seat at his feet, staring up at him curiously. She studied his features, his long dark hair, and unshaven face. She studied how lifelike his metal arm looked. She cocked her head to the side, taking in the person who was slumped before her.

She'd heard so many stories about Bucky Barnes from her boyfriend. When they had spent three months cozied up in their apartments, doing nothing but talk and talk and talk. She felt like she knew this man, even though she wasn't sure this man knew who he even was anymore. She couldn't imagine how Steve felt, having his best friend in the entire world back, and then his best friend trying to kill him repeatedly. Kayla knew she'd be very upset if Tiffany had tried repeatedly to kill her. She'd also be very upset if she thought Tiffany was dead and came back as a super soldier...

 _Oh... right..._

Kayla realized Steve's situation wasn't that different from Tiffany's. Or maybe she realized her situation wasn't that different from Bucky's. Either way, she knew she'd have to protect the man before her. He was important to Steve, so he was important to her too.

She was worried though. Steve would blindly protect Bucky, above anyone else. Kayla didn't want to think he'd choose Bucky over her, but she couldn't help but wonder that if the time came, he would. She hoped it would never come to that.

Bucky groaned a little as he opened his eyes and lifted his head. Kayla watched him cautiously but made no attempt to move. He didn't notice her, as his worried gaze went to the trap his arm had been set in. Kayla never took her eyes off the Winter Soldier as she heard Sam call for Cap, the sound of his jogging footsteps getting closer.

Steve's breath caught in his throat when he saw Kayla sitting before Bucky, his old friend's eyes locked on the girl's. Bucky seemed dazed and confused, but Kayla was fearless, she was calm.

Once Bucky saw who had arrived at the right of the girl, he mumbled his name, "Steve." His body was still limp, but he seemed to relax at the sight of Captain America.

"Which Bucky am I talking to?" Steve asked coldly. He knew it was his best friend's body before him, but whether or not the Winter Soldier's mind was in charge made him rigid. Especially with his girl sitting at his heavy boots. Kayla looked up at him over her right shoulder, an encouraging smile on her face.

Barnes sat for a moment, contemplating his answer before he began, "Your mom's name was Sarah. You... used to put newspapers in your shoes." He laughed a little at the memory, and Kayla beamed at the man. Her Steve had his Bucky back.

Steve softened at his answer, admitting, "You can't read that in a museum."

"And just like that, we're supposed to be cool?" Sam asked incredulously, looking between Steve and Bucky.

"What did I do?" Bucky asked nervously, but Kayla simply leaned forward, pressing her elbows to her knees and resting her chin on the palms of her hands. "Who's this?"

"Kayla Dawn Ellis. The future Mrs. Steven Grant Rogers." Kayla declared proudly, offering up her right hand to shake Bucky's free one.

Bucky looked from the girl to Steve curiously, trying to formulate something clever to say.

Steve just put up his hand to stop him, getting the conversation back on track, "Bucky, you did a lot of damage. People are dead."

The Winter Soldier groaned, lowering his head somberly, "Ohh, I knew this would happen. Everything Hydra put inside me is still there, he just had to say the worlds..." Kayla watched the man sadly, remembering her time under Ultron's mind control. Remembering having to fight Steve. Being forced to hurt Steve. Not having any control over her actions. She looked over her shoulder to Steve, reading his expression like an open book. He was sad too.

"Who was he?" Steve pressed, but Bucky told him he didn't know. "I need you to do better than I don't know." Steve pushed harder and Kayla was worried he'd push the unstable soldier to snap. She scooted back a bit, and Bucky took notice, seeing the fear in her eyes the way he saw fear in everyone's eyes he encountered.

Bucky's eyes twitched back and forth as he pulled forth the memory of earlier in the day, remembering what the man had said through his mind-controlled fog, "He wanted to know about Siberia. Where I was kept. He wanted to know exactly where."

"Why would he need to know that?" Steve asked sternly, seeing Bucky knew more than he was letting on.

Bucky looked up at his old friend wearily. "Because I'm not the only Winter Soldier."

"What?" Kayla blurted, scooting closer to Bucky again to hear his story. "More than one Winter Soldier, but... but we only know of you..."

"Who were they?" Steve asked, ignoring his girl's remarks.

"Their most elite death squad. More kills than anyone in Hydra history. And that was before the serum."

Kayla looked nervously to Sam. She understood the power of the serum. It flowed through her veins. She couldn't imagine it in someone who was deadly without it. To be super strong, super fast, super intelligent. To be the peak of human perfection, and use that power for destruction.

"They all turn out like you?" Sam asked from where he was leaning on the door frame, arms crossed defensively. Kayla could see how uncomfortable Bucky made the Falcon. It wasn't surprising, for various reasons.

Bucky answered the stranger shortly, "Worse."

"Could the doctor control them?" Steve asked wearily, seeing where the situation was headed.

"Enough."

Steve remembered what the man had told him before Bucky attacked them, "He said they wanted to see an empire fall." Steve and Sam met each other's gaze.

"He who? What? When? This is why I hate getting left out." Kayla grumbled, standing up and brushing off her black pants. "I'm gonna get a rag and clean up that wound on her head. I'll be back." She told Bucky, stroking Steve's arm lovingly as she left. Barnes looked at Steve wearily, knowing they had a big mission ahead of them.

"With these guys they could do it." He started, "They speak thirty languages, hide in plain sight, infiltrate, assassinate. Take down a whole country in one night. You'd never see them coming."

Sam crossed the room to Steve, lowering his head so Bucky couldn't openly hear his words, "This would have been a lot easier a week ago." He muttered, looking over his shoulder at a guilty Barnes.

While Sam and Steve discussed how they were going to save the world without the help of the Avengers who signed the Accords, Kayla returned with a wet rag. She shuffled over to Bucky, catching Steve's eye nervously before he gave her a curt nod. Bucky looked up at her, a grim smile on his face. "I won't hurt you. You're Steve's girl. I could hurt every person in this world, but I could never hurt the woman who makes Steve Rogers happy."

Kayla's lips cracked open in a true smile, her beautiful teeth showing for the first time since Bucky had seen her. She blushed as she turned her head away, then looked to his metal arm that was still locked in the machinery. "I'm...sorry, about this. We weren't sure if-"

"It's fine. I would have done the same thing. So how'd you two meet?" Bucky asked sincerely as Kayla looked over to Steve and Sam again, then turned back to his bleeding temple.

"I used to be the President's Daughter."

"Used to be?" Bucky asked, lifting his head curiously to look at the girls, but she just shrugged and continued to blot the blood away.

"It's a long story. I met Steve at a gala. He was... so handsome. I'd been studying the super soldier serum for years. I, uh, was contacted to make an anti serum. For you actually. I didn't know it was you at the time, Bucky, I mean, but the Winter Soldier."

Bucky nodded thoughtfully, not seeming too fazed that Steve's girl had been hired to kill him. "You didn't use any serum on me."

"No. No I didn't. Because it was a front. Hydra used Shield as a front and tricked me. They told me you were going to kill my father, and the serum was for you. But it was for Steve. I made the anti-serum and this man, this terrible, terrible man tried to shoot Steve." Kayla cried out at the memory, Steve suddenly at her side, holding both her arms.

"Shhhh. Kay." Steve shushed as he stroked her arms comfortingly.

"I jumped in front of the gun." Kayla admitted, staring Bucky in the eyes. "I took the anti-serum so Steve could stop you from launching the helicarriers. I died. But Sam, bless Sam, he gave me the super soldier serum I'd created for Steve. Brought me back from the dead." Kayla looked adoringly to Sam, who just shrugged, not wanting her to gush about him. She turned back to Bucky, who's face was sullen. "What?"

"You went through a lot of trouble because of me. Both of you. And you'll be in a lot of trouble now."

"Well," Kayla blinked, finishing cleaning his face, "I've heard you were worth it. So here we are. And honestly, if everything hadn't happened, when Shield fell, Steve and I may have never really ended up together. So I guess something good did come from bad after all." She smiled up at Steve, and Sam just rolled his eyes.

"You done recounting your love story? We've got shit to do. We're gonna need our gear back. Got any ideas to do that Cap?" Sam crossed his arms and faced his Captain.

Steve looked between the three, then pulled out his waterlogged cell phone, "I'll, uhh, try to call in a favor."

Steve left the room, and Sam leaned back against the wall, watching Bucky. "You comfy?" He asked, snark filling his voice.

"Not particularly," Bucky answered quietly.

"Good. You're gonna stay like that till Steve comes back." Sam spat back but was interrupted from anymore ranting by the sound of creaking metal. Bucky turned to his left to see the machine holding him down open, Kayla yanking up the top half of the vice to free him. Sam hung his head in disappointment, "Damn it, Kayla. You couldn't give me this?"

"You better start learning to play nice Falcon. Or its gonna be a long ride." Kayla threatened, patting Bucky on the shoulder where metal was fused to his skin, then walked out to find Steve.

"That's some dame." Bucky whistled after the blonde, watching her slink away to find her husband. "Good for Steve."

Sam scoffed, shaking his head fondly, "She's trouble. Don't let her fool you. She's pure trouble."


	56. Chapter 56

"Alright, Kay, I'm gonna have you go steal a car." Steve was telling the small group his plan, and Kayla's job had her eyebrows raised.

"Me? Steal a car? How surprising." She nodded her head, impressed.

"Why?" Steve asked, not understanding why she seemed so proud.

Kayla leaned forward against the greasy table toward Steve, grinning coyly, "Because you never let me do anything."

"You know how to hotwire a car?" Sam asked, breaking the sexual tension he could see beginning to grow in the room.

"Don't need to. I'll just get the keys." Kayla chimed, turning to the pilot. "I'm a super soldier. I can handle it. I'll be back in thirty."

Steve turned to Sam and Bucky, "Hold on a second. We've got to wait till tomorrow, give Clint a chance to bring Wanda and your guy here. Once she gets the car, we are meeting my contact. She'll bring our stuff. Very small window to get what we need, then get out. Clint's got transportation covered. Hopefully, nobody else gets in the way."

"They will." Sam and Kayla chimed in unison.

Steve looked at the three people in front of him, two of his best friends and his fiance. He was a lucky man to be in such company. He only wished there weren't people trying to arrest them. "We should get some rest, it's gonna be a long couple of days," Steve informed the group, pushing away from the work table to look around the warehouse for someplace to rest.

"I'll take first watch. Cap, how much sleep do you need?" Sam offered, looking toward the blonde soldier.

"I probably won't sleep," Steve admitted, pulling a blanket out of a broken down car near the wall. "I'll come to get you in three hours?"

"Make it four," Sam said, looking toward Barnes. "I don't trust this one yet."

"Sam..." Kayla chastised, scrunching her face at the rude pilot.

Bucky raised his hands defensively, "It's fine. I wouldn't trust me either. I've slept enough though, if you don't mind, I'll guard the other side of the warehouse."

"So I guess it's just you and me resting for now." Steve offered Kayla the blanket, and she took it gently, feeling the rough fabric beneath her fingers. "I know its not much. You should be with Natasha right now. I'm sure she's got a real bed-"

"You really think I would have just sat back and let you get arrested? Come on Steve, you know me better than that." Kayla scoffed, laying the blanket flat and sitting on it, patting the spot next to her for Steve to join.

The soldier smirked as he gazed at his future wife lovingly, "Yeah, I know."

Steve didn't sleep, but Kayla did. She snored softly against his arm as he laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling. After four hours, he gently moved Kayla's head and rested it on the hard ground, wincing as he thought about how uncomfortable it must be for her.

"Cap, go back to bed. I can see you want to stay with Kay." Sam told the soldier as he quietly made his way to the Falcon.

"Fair's fair. You've had watch, now it's my turn." Steve responded, leaning against the doorframe where Sam had been stationed half the night.

Sam looked back toward Kayla as Steve stared out the open door. Sam noticed Kayla shift in her sleep, rolling over and curling into a ball, shivering in her thin tank top. "You know the wedding isn't happening anymore right? Has she mentioned it?" Sam asked softly, turning to his friend.

Steve looked up at the sky, eyebrows drawn as if he was staring into the sun, "I know. And no, she hasn't mentioned it. She won't. It's not like her."

"When you were talking to Stark, Natasha told me that she saved her father at the UN. He knows she's alive Steve. We could send her back home and keep her safe." Steve turned to Sam, mouth open slightly.

"They know she's alive?"

"I know right? Finally. After all this time." Sam turned to look at Kayla as Steve did, watching his girl shiver.

"If we leave now, we'll be gone before she can catch us. Once we are gone I'll send word for Natasha to take her home. Even despite all that's happened, I know she won't leave Kayla to die." Steve turned back to Sam. "She'll hate me for it."

Sam nodded slowly, looking out the open door again. "Yeah, she will, but she'll know you did it because you love her."

"I'll go get Bucky." Steve quickly crossed the warehouse, being especially quiet as he tread near his sleeping fiancee. When he reached the Winter Soldier, Bucky looked up silently, waiting for Steve to speak. "We're leaving now. I want to go before Kayla wakes up. That way she doesn't get hurt. I can't let her get hurt Buck. I love her."

Bucky just nodded and stood without a sound, but when Steve turned to meet Sam, he ran straight into Kayla.

"Kay..." He trailed, face flushing when he realized she'd most likely heard his plan. Her scowl assured him she had heard his plan.

"What the hell Steve? You're going to leave me in an abandoned warehouse in Berlin in the middle of the night?" Fury burned in her green eyes, but her lip was quivering. Steve could tell she was on the verge of crying. "You were going to abandon me."

"I love you Kay, I can't let you get hurt. I can't- risk losing you. I've lost everything. I have to stop the doctor before he does something terrible, but it's not worth losing you. Please, understand." Steve begged, knowing it was a losing battle with his Kayla.

"I understand perfectly, but because I love you too, I'm coming. And that's final." She stomped her foot to show she'd made her decision, and Bucky turned to Steve with a smirk.

"Aren't women great?" Bucky chuckled as Kayla crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes in on Captain America.

Steve rolled his eyes and pulled Kayla into a hug, which she didn't reciprocate at first. After a few moments of him squeezing, she finally gave in and hugged him back. "I know you are hugging me because you are unhappy I got my way." Her muffled voice spoke into Steve's dirty white shirt.

"Yup." Steve answered back, giving her a kiss on the head.

* * *

None of the four slept the rest of the night, Kayla sat snuggled up to Steve by the main door, watching the stars while Sam laid on the ground, staring at the ceiling, the blanket rolled up as a pillow. Bucky stayed on the far side, even though the back door didn't need guarding. He wanted to give Steve and Kayla some alone time, because clearly, things were stressful for them. She'd said she was Steve's future wife, but they were going on a suicide mission. It made Bucky's stomach churn anxiously as he thought about the danger they were running into, and the reason's behind Steve wanting to leave his girl behind.

As the sun rose, Kayla kissed the underside of Steve's jaw as she sat in his lap. A beaming grin spread across her features as she looked at him, taking him in. Because she'd heard Sam's whispers in the night. She was aware her perfect wedding wasn't happening. But that didn't mean she wasn't going to marry the man before her. One way or another, come hell or high water, she'd become Mrs. Rogers.

"I'll go find a getaway car," Kayla told Steve as he helped her to her feet, the sun already high in the sky. "What's the status on Clint?"

"Right on target. We need to meet them at the Berlin airport. But first, we have to stop and get our gear." Steve answered, looking down at her.

Kayla nodded, thinking it through, "Thirty minutes. Be ready to go." She said back, squishing through the crack of the barely open door.

She hummed as she strolled, shoving her hands in her pockets. It was now she really considered her appearance. Her hair was freshly tied on top of her head in a messy bun, and her black pants her still damp from swimming. Her white tank top had seen better days and her nude bra was showing out the sides. She looked around and noticed a teenager coming down the front steps of his house to his car. She considered his small blue Volkswagon beetle and decided it would do. So she reached into her bra and hiked up her breasts, preparing to seduce the young man.

"Hello? I'm sorry, I'm a little lost? Can you help me?" She uttered as she leaned into the open passenger window. The teenage boy stuttered a little at her beauty, eyes moving from her smiling face to her muscular arms and finally to her lifted boobs.

"Yeah, what, what can I help you with?" He answered in broken English, and Kayla clapped childishly as she trotted around to the driver's side of the car, leaning against the hood while the boy got out. She pulled out her phone and pointed to a museum nearby, and the boy started pointing, looking away from her for one unfortunate second. She smashed his head against the hood of the car and pulled his body away, leaning him against the steps of his porch.

Then she slid into the driver's seat and threw the car into reverse, thankful she'd learned how to drive a stick shift in college.

Twenty-seven minutes after she left, Kayla rolled up to the warehouse and the men filed out to see their getaway car. Bucky and Sam both frowned, and Steve just inhaled air, and let it out, not ready to explain why they were so upset.

"What?" Kayla asked when she saw their expressions. "It was easy! I had to move fast."

"It's just that it's-" Bucky started.

"Small. It's very small. And we are three very large men." Sam finished, crossing his arms. "I call shotgun."

Steve turned to Kayla, who climbed her way into the backseat. He then turned to Bucky, "Look, Sam should sit up front, he's less recognizable than you. No offense Sam."

"None taken, I try not to become notorious," Sam answered, making his way to the car and folding his seat forward so Bucky could climb in behind him. Bucky met Steve's eyes with an annoyed glance but silently got into the car beside Kayla.

Sam pushed his seat back, cramming into Bucky, and Kayla looked at him guiltily, "I'm sorry. I should have sat behind Sam... I thought Steve would need more leg room..."

"It's fine," Bucky answered, giving her his most earnest smile. She grinned back, happy Steve's friend seemed to like her enough.

"Alright, so where are we meeting this contact of yours?" Sam asked as Steve through the car into first gear.

* * *

Steve pulled in behind a black car under an overpass and got out of the vehicle to meet the blonde woman who emerged. Kayla gagged a little, and Bucky turned to stare at her questioningly.

"Sharon Carter." She spat, rolling her eyes and meeting Bucky's gaze as she leaned back into the seat. "Peggy's niece."

Bucky didn't respond, but he stared at the woman ahead, shifting to get a better view. "Can you move your seat up?" Bucky asked Sam, and Sam didn't even turn around as he answered no, a permanent scowl on his face when speaking to or about Bucky.

"Sam, don't be an ass." Kayla defended, leaning against the car door anxiously. From her angle, she couldn't see Steve and Sharon, but she could see Sam's reaction to their conversation. She didn't want to see Steve talking to the other woman. She knew Steve loved her, but that didn't mean she didn't feel jealousy. It was normal to feel jealous when someone you loved talked to someone else right? Maybe it was just because Kayla had never really been in love, and she was going to protect what she had with Steve at any cost. Steve would never cheat on her. Steve would never be the one to break that trust.

"She's making fun of the bug," Sam informed the blonde, who simply waved her hand flippantly, trying desperately not to care what Sharon Carter thought. "She's got our gear, so that's good," Sam added, looking back over his shoulder at Kayla. "I can see you don't like her, but she's doing us a solid. You know that right?"

"Does she know about me?" Kayla asked quietly, staring out the side window. Bucky scooted more toward the center of the bug, closer to Kayla but away from Sam so he'd have more leg room. Kayla's thigh bumped his, but neither of them mentioned it.

"No. No she doesn't. Steve didn't want to tell her, because then she might start snooping around about you."

"It's pretty obvious she doesn't know Steve's engaged," Bucky said nervously, eyes locked ahead. This caused Sam to turn and Kayla to sit up in her seat to get a better view, just in time to see Steve pulling away from a kiss with Sharon Carter.

Steve looked down for a moment, then suddenly his eyes widened, realizing what had just happened and what he had just done. "Sharon, I-I can't-" He stuttered, turning to face the car, but Kayla ducked back down, shielding herself from his desperate eyes. Bucky turned from the girl to Steve, sliding back over to be behind Sam. He hadn't done anything wrong, but Steve had, and he wasn't going to give Steve any ammunition to use against his fiance by being too close to her.

Sam reached back and placed a hand firmly on Kayla's thigh, trying to hold her down in case she lunged from the car. He tried to read her expression, expecting to see the fire that burned in her eyes when someone threatened her Steve. He expected her to tear out of the car and snap Sharon's neck then and there for daring to kiss the lips of her fiance.

But Sam didn't see anger. He saw disappointment. He saw her chest deflate and he saw resignation in her eyes as she stared up at the ceiling, batting back tears.

"I don't understand... Steve..." Sharon stammered, looking toward the car, then back at the soldier. "I must have gotten my signals mixed up-"

"I'm engaged Sharon." Steve looked up at the blonde, eye's watering. "I'm engaged and my fiance is in that car, hiding behind the driver's seat next to Bucky. I should have been upfront with you about it, but I was afraid you wouldn't help us. I didn't mean to manipulate you, I was just trying to keep my fiance safe."

Sharon nodded slowly, putting together the pieces. "Who is she?" She asked quietly, looking toward the small car.

Steve looked back at the car, the sight painful as guilt welled up in his chest. He looked back to Sharon, jaw tight, and said nothing.

"She's still alive isn't she?" Sharon asked, sighing. "Kayla Ellis, she's not dead. I remember the way you two looked at each other. You were so open about being together, even when you were forbidden to be around each other. I can't imagine you being with someone in secret now, unless it's still her."

Steve smiled weakly at Sharon, then turned to look over his shoulder nervously. He could see Sam had his hand reached back toward the backseat, and he was talking to Kayla. His face looked like he was trying to comfort her. Steve had to go.

"I'm sorry Sharon. I really am. You've done too much. And you shouldn't have found out this way."

"Please, just, tell her I'm sorry. I didn't know. I would have never... I just wanted to know what it was like." Sharon added, a smile to her face. "It wasn't quite like Aunt Peggy described it."

Steve smirked, grabbing his shield in one hand and Falcon's wings in the other, "That was a different man Sharon. I've changed."

"Good luck Steve," Sharon said goodbye, slamming down the trunk before slipping into her car and driving away.

Sam popped the trunk of the Beetle and Steve put their stuff in it, then took a deep breath before getting into the car. He stared straight ahead in silence for a moment, but he could feel the weight of Sam and Buck's eyes on him. "We better get going," Sam suggested, but he was trying to see what Cap would say, how he would proceed from that.

"Give me just a minute." Steve flung open the door and pushed the seat forward, offering him an unfiltered view of his fiance. Kayla couldn't even look him in the eye, she stared at the ceiling, her chest heaving as she fought back tears. Steve reached for her hand, and she didn't swat it away, she just shook her head, not wanting to talk. "Look, Kay, we aren't leaving here until you and I sort this out, and the world's kind of depending on it, so please, let me explain."

"Okay," Kayla mumbled, and she allowed Steve to help her out of the back seat, closing the door and leaving Bucky and Sam to sit alone some more.

"I didn't know she was going to kiss me. And I won't lie to you, I didn't stop it as soon as I should have. I was thanking her, and she was flirting, and I hadn't told her about you. I misread the signs and I gave her some I didn't mean. I should have stopped the kiss, but suddenly it was happening, and it took me a moment too long to realize what I was doing. I messed up Kay. I messed up, and I'm really sorry." Steve apologized, pacing back and forth, alternating throwing his hands to the side and placing them firmly on his hips.

"I just... didn't think it would be you." Kayla cried softly, turning away from Steve.

"What?" He asked, not understanding.

Kayla met his eyes, "I trusted you, with all my heart, and I knew you could do no wrong. What hurts me the most is that when I saw you kissing her, I wasn't mad, I was hurt. Because I always thought I'd be the one to fuck this up, not you."

Steve sighed, rubbing the back of his head, not wanting to know the answer to his next question, "Have you cheated on me?"

"No. Of course not." Kayla answered, and Steve could see the truth in her eyes, "but I would have expected myself to, not you."

"Well, then let's call this my one mistake. And if you ever mess up, I'll give you one too. Deal?" Steve asked gently, "It didn't mean anything. You know that Kay." He pulled her left hand to his lips and kissed it gently, playing with her engagement ring. "Sharon knows your alive."

"Well, she can join the club." Kayla muttered, then started walking back to the car, "Come on Cap, we've got to save the world."

Author's Note: What a weird little chapter... is this foreshadowing something to come? You bet it is! Please favorite, follow, and please please please review! Thank you!


	57. Chapter 57

Author's Note: So this probably should have been two separate chapters, but it's not, so here's the LONGEST chapter of the whole story! It's mostly stuff you know from the movie, but with a little bit of Kayla being Kayla. 

Steve was almost speeding the little blue bug to the airport, trying to make up the time they'd lost dealing with the Sharon mess. He was thankful that Kayla seemed calm, and somewhat happy to be along, even if Steve felt like he'd betrayed her in the highest degree.

When Steve swung the car to level B6, pulling into a parking spot to the right of a plain white van. Sam and Steve jumped out quickly to meet Clint as he came around the van, Wanda emerging slowly from the passenger seat.

"You know if I wouldn't have called if I had any other choice." Steve shook the man's hand thankfully as Kayla wiggles over the seat and out the driver's door. Steve felt guilty, that much was clear as he faced Clint.

"Hey man, you are doing me a favor. Plus, I owe a debt." Clint said looking over his shoulder at Wanda.

"Thanks for having my back." Steve thanked both of them as Kayla finally untangled herself from Steve's seatbelt and sprinted to Wanda, tackling her in a hug as she swayed her.

"I'm so glad you are here! Are you okay? Steve said they locked you up? Did they hurt you?" Kayla asked as she backed away, holding onto Wanda's face lovingly.

"I'm fine. It was time for me to get off my ass." She moved her eyes to look at Clint, and he smiled back. Kayla moved from the witch to the archer, wrapping her strong arms around the man like he was a part of her family and she'd finally come home.

"How's our new recruit?" Steve asked as Clint pulled away from Kayla to make his way toward the white van,

Kayla cocked her head to the side curiously, standing next to Wanda, "New recruit?"

"Raring to go. Had to put a little coffee in him but he should be good." Clint slid open the door and the noise jostled the dark haired man awake in the backseat.

He grumbled and shielded his eyes from the sun, "What time zone is this?" Clint shoved the nervous man toward Steve as the Captain sized him up. The man's eyes twinkled with excitement as he thrust his hand into Cap's. "Captain America."

"Mr. Lang," Steve responded as Kayla smirked nearby.

"It's such an honor. Wow. I'm shaking your hand too long. This is awesome! Captain America!" Mr. Lang continued shaking Steve's hand as he turned to Wanda, recognition glowing on his face, "I know you too! You're great!"

Wanda smiled sweetly, but Kayla just whispered in her ear, "Wasn't he in the van with you?" Wanda shrugged, he was adorable nervous. Then he reached out and squeezed Steve's shoulder and Kayla had had enough of that.

"Kayla Ellis, at your service," Kayla slid in between Lang and Steve, thrusting her hand forward in greeting, "And to answer your question, no, I'm not dead. Surprise!" Scott opened his mouth to speak, his eyebrows drawn in confusion, but Kayla looked over her shoulder to Steve as the shocked man stared at her tight grip on his hand. "Darling we better get moving."

Steve turned to Scott seriously, warning him of his fate, "We are outside the law on this one. If you come with us, you're a wanted man."

Scott tilted his head gently, "Yeah, well, what else is new?"

"We got a chopper lined up," Clint said casually, not seeming to be in any hurry.

Suddenly garbled German came over the intercom and everyone looked to the ceiling until Bucky finally clarified. "They are evacuating the airport."

Kayla shifted uncomfortably next to Wanda as Sam mumbled "Stark."

"Stark?" The new guy asked nervously, seeing everyone's reaction.

"Suit up," Steve told the group as he turned to head toward the airport terminal.

Kayla grabbed Steve's arm, holding him back for a moment. He nodded for the others to go ahead, Kay wanted a minute of his time.

"Steve, whatever happens, you need to get to Siberia." Kayla started, placing her hand on his strong jaw.

" _We_ need to get to Siberia." He corrected, but she could see he knew she was right. They might not all make it out in a full-on fight with the other Avengers.

"Just, get there." She said quietly, then started to leave but he yanked her back and gave her a long, deep kiss.

"I love you too." He told her as he finally released her, and he went to go change into his uniform. Kayla had nothing to wear, so she just watched him go, then turned to see the people emptying the tarmac.

After a few minutes, Kayla hid behind a pillar, nodding at Steve to wish him luck as he walked alone out to the helicopter. He broke into a run once he was out in the open, making great strides to the helicopter with his shield already in hand. Kayla stayed hidden, knowing that Nat hadn't seen her since the UN incident. The more tricks Steve had up his sleeve, the better.

Before Steve could reach the helicopter, a shot from Iron Man's glove disabled the chopper, causing Steve to slow to a stop. Kayla lurched a little as Iron Man and War Machine flew toward Steve, but she stayed in the shadows, suddenly very aware that _her_ suit was on Natasha's quinjet.

Kayla couldn't hear what the men were saying, but she saw Tony lower his face armor, a good sign that he wanted to talk first, fight second. Suddenly the Black Panther lept over a piece of machinery, landing near Steve. Kayla watched the man she once considered a friend, terrified of what he was capable of after seeing him fight Bucky.

Natasha appeared to Steve's side, approaching him. Kayla didn't have a comm, she couldn't hear what was happening. She wasn't dressed for a fight, she wasn't prepared for a bloodbath. She was...scared. Because even if she'd never say it out loud, she knew her fiance couldn't beat Iron Man. He was just a man. An extraordinary man, but a man none the less.

"Underoos!" Tony called, something loud enough that Kayla could finally hear. A red-suited creature grabbed onto Steve's shield with some sort of netting, yanking toward itself while tying Steve's gloved hands together. Kayla leaned away from the pillar she was hiding behind to get a better look at the... Spiderman? Crouched atop a luggage car holding Steve's shield. Tony had a few surprises up his sleeve as well. Kayla was suddenly not so sure she was of any help, but she began to slink away from her pillar, seeing the fight was about to begin...

"Hey everyone." Spiderman greeted with a wave. Steve had a slight smirk on his face, Tony was growing annoyed with the young man he'd recruited. Judging by the kid's voice, he couldn't have been any older than high school age. Steve puffed his chest out a bit, proud that Tony had resorted to some kid to stop him and his team. Even if that kid seemed to have spider powers.

"Where's the Mrs?" Tony asked, turning away from Spiderman to try a different approach with the soldier. "Nat hasn't seen or heard from her since the United Nations. Have you?"

Steve's face dropped, worry spreading across his features. "No...I-I thought she was with you? I didn't see her at the Task Force Center, but I just assumed she was laying low somewhere. Where is she?"

"Good job Rogers, you lost your girlfriend. Again. Seems to be a habit with you." Natasha said, her voice glowering. She wasn't trying to be mean, she was just as worried as Steve. Except her worry was real.

"Fiance." Steve corrected, meeting Natasha's eyes, and she could see the worry wasn't real. Steve wasn't a spy. Kayla was here.

"She's here," Natasha said simply, walking closer to Tony. She scowled at Steve, feeling betrayed that he'd let her think Kayla was lost somewhere. He'd use their friendship against her.

"Alright, we're done. You're gonna turn Barnes over, you're gonna come with us _now._ Because it's us or a squad of J-SOC guys with no compunction about being polite. They'll shoot you. They'll shoot Barnes. And they'll shoot your girl. Then her death will be on your hands twice." Tony threatened, causing curious looks from T'Challa and Peter. Natasha and Rhodey shifted uncomfortably, knowing the billionaire was pushing just a little too hard by saying that about Kayla. "Come on." Tony pleaded under his breath, begging the Captain to see his way.

"We found it. Their quinjet's in hangar five. North runway." Sam said into the comm.

Steve raised his hands to the sky and an arrow flew from the parking garage. Tony quickly resealed his helmet and Kayla knew it was time to run. She just had to keep an eye on Steve. That was her job. Go where Steve went.

Suddenly Scott appeared from seemingly nowhere, grabbing Steve's shield and kicking Spiderman away. He landed near Steve and handed him his shield back. "I believe this is your's, Captain America."

Tony flew to the sky, and Rhodey followed but didn't pursue any of the other's like Tony had. Black Panther took off running toward the terminal where Sam and Bucky were. Once T'Challa started running, Steve smashed Rhodey in the chest with his shield. As soon as Steve had it back in his hand he was chasing Black Panther toward the building, smashing the disk into the King's back, knocking him to the ground and giving Steve a chance to gain some ground on him.

Once Steve reached Black Panther he tried to grab his neck, but T'Challa was too strong and threw him back, but Steve rolled, sending the other man flying over him, away from the building. As T'Challa stood, he stared at Steve, his voice radiating frustration, "Move Captain. I won't ask a second time."

Steve stared at him stoically, having no intention of letting the man harm his best friend. The Black Panther lunged as the soldier but was taken by surprise from a blonde blur to his right kicking him violently to the side. After a double backflip, the woman landed on top of him, kneeling against his chest to keep him down. She panted as her long hair cascaded around her, sweat gathering around her bare collarbone.

"Kayla?" T'Challa gasped, too stunned to shove her off. "I thought you were dead."

Kayla threw her head to the side, sending her heavy mane over her shoulder, "I was. But I got a second chance at life. And I'm not going to let you take my fiance away from me." She growled, shoving her knee harder into his chest.

"What happened to you, Kayla? This isn't you." T'Challa answered simply, distracting the girl.

"I became a super soldier." She hissed, but the man threw her off of him to the side, just as strong as her, but twice as focused. "If you hurt him, I'll kill you."

"Barnes killed my father. I won't rest until he's dead." Black Panther slashed as the girl but she dodged away, Steve taking her place with his shield against the King. The Black Panther's vibranium claws dug deep into the Captain's impenetrable shield, and Kayla's eyes widened with panic. Despite knowing she didn't stand a chance against her old friend, Kayla stayed by Steve's side as the two men fought, kicking out at the man as Steve blocked his attacks. T'Challa never swung at the girl again, and took every kick with ease, even if nothing seemed to hurt him.

Suddenly T'Challa kicked Steve away and War Machine came flying at him with a metal baton to smash him with. Kayla lunged to his side, sliding beneath the shield to help him hold it up as the metal hit the shield. The electricity carried through it though, and Kayla felt it more than Steve.

"Kay!" Steve cried out as she let go of the shield, letting herself go limp on the ground for a second. "Kay don't do this to me, not now."

"Go!" She croaked, coughing a little, "They aren't going to fight me. If you go, I'll recoup, get out of here!"

Steve did as he was told, darting away and leaving his girl behind. As she predicted, Rhodey flew toward Steve, knowing the Captain was the bigger threat, which gave Kayla a chance to scurry away. She took a deep breath, watching as Steve kicked T'Challa away from him. At least they seemed to be winning. Kayla puffed her cheeks and blew air out her mouth, trying to calm down before continuing. The shock of Rhodey's weapon still stung, but at least she could move her legs.

Suddenly Ant Man appeared beside Steve. Kayla jogged toward them, leaning against Steve lightly as the new recruit spoke. "Hey Cap! Head's up!" The man threw him a toy truck.

"What. The. Fuck." Kayla blurted, shock reverberating in her voice. "I just got electrocuted and you want to play Hot Wheels?"

"Throw it at this...Now!" Scott ordered as he threw a small disk toward Rhodey, and Steve did as he was told, throwing the truck and hitting the disk midair. The truck went careening toward Rhodey who didn't have a chance to move, the truck exploding right on top of him as Natasha ran away. T'Challa was thrown from the explosion.

"Okay, good work. I take back what I said. You're cool." Kayla stuttered quickly, her leaning turning into grabbing Steve's side as the soldier looked at Scott.

"Oh man, I thought it was a water truck." Scott moaned. "Uhh, sorry." Then the three took off back toward the building, running as fast as their legs could take them. Kayla and Steve started gaining ground on Scott as Clint and Wanda came around a crate, Clint pointing out their ride.

Soon Sam and Bucky were joining them and they were racing toward the quinjet sitting in the hanger. But before they could reach it, Vision used the mind stone to blast a line into the concrete in front of them, effectively stopping Team Cap in their tracks. Kayla leaned over, placing her hands on her knees as she panted, more frustrated than tired. They were seriously outmatched.

"What do we do Cap?" Sam asked nervously, never taking his eyes off the line up ahead of them. Kayla stood in front of Wanda, next to Cap, sheltering her from the impending altercation. She didn't deserve to be locked up. Experimented on. Controlled. It's why Kayla never went back after the serum. But she'd be damned if they took Wanda. They'd have to get through her. Clint shot Kayla a glance, they knew they had the same debt to pay. But here they were.

"We fight," Steve answered Sam after a moment, beginning to walk toward the other side. Kayla stared at him, jaw tight as she let him get a few paces on her before she sighed and followed her Captain.

"Well, this is gonna end well," Natasha mumbled as they began to meet the others ahead of them.

Steve began to jog toward the other team, and they doubled his pace and started flying forward. Finally, the Avengers clashed together as Tony slammed down on Cap's shield, and T'Challa finally got a chance to eliminate Bucky.

The Black Panther pounced onto the Winter Soldier, knocking him to the ground, and Kayla quickly tackled T'Challa off of Bucky, sending them both flying away harshly. T'Challa rose in an instant, Kayla one step ahead as she kicked out her strong leg at him, but he grabbed it and used her momentum to spin her and throw her away. She landed hard against Clint who had Natasha pinned down, sending all three of them into the concrete. Kayla gasped as she felt the road burn on her bare arms.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Natasha chastized, pinning down the girl with her boot as Clint started shooting exploding arrows at Tony.

"I didn't have my suit," Kayla mumbled, meeting Natasha's green eyes with her own. "I don't want to fight."

"Me neither, but your fiance is thick headed!" Natasha yelled down at her, and Kayla placed her arms behind her and found the strength to push her torso out from under Natasha and land on her feet, sending the redhead to the ground. Kayla, in turn, placed her brown boot on Natasha's stomach, not holding her tight as she should have.

"He's gotta go Nat! This is serious. It's bigger than the Accords." Kayla argued, looking over her shoulder, but Natasha reached up and punched her between the thighs, bringing the girl down hard to the ground on top of her. "What the hell Natasha? That's not for _you_ to beat up!" Natasha grinned as she stood, but as soon as she was on her feet, they were pulled from beneath her by red smoke and she was flung unceremoniously against a luggage cart. She groaned as she landed hard on her back, both Clint and Kayla turning to stare at Wanda.

"Both of you were pulling your punches." Wanda scolded before she walked away. Kayla and Clint shared a glance, and Kayla brushed off the boot marks from her chest.

Kayla looked up to see Steve's shield slice through the air and Spiderman fall and land on his feet. Kayla ran in Steve's direction while they talked, and suddenly Spiderman was spewing web at her fiance's foot and shield, yanking him brutally toward him. The kid jumped to the ground and kicked Steve in the face when he reached him, sending him flying backward onto a jetbridge.

As the boy somersaulted and landed in a crouch, Kayla jumped him from behind, grabbing onto his neck fiercely as she pulled him against her. "Nobody hurts my Steve." She growled deeply, pulling the kid deeper into a sleeper hold. But he simply grabbed her arm and pulled it away. "What?" She asked before he just stared at her.

"Hey. You look familiar. Not like, in an Avengers way, I don't know who you are, but I've seen you before."

"Don't worry about it kid. Why the hell are you so strong?" Kayla yelped, looking down at his red hand that held her's.

"It's a long story." He answered, then spun her around and held her by the neck as she had done to him. She gagged a little as Steve stood in front of her, ready to fight to save his girl.

"Maybe we can talk about it someday when we aren't fighting. I'd love to know more. I'm a scientist." Kayla choked out, more impressed than upset by his grip on her.

"You're a scientist?" He asked as he loosened his arm a little and turned to face her. "That's so cool!"

"Yeah, by the way, aren't you supposed to be stopping Captain America?" Kayla asked weakly as she began to feel dizzy. The kid looked up and realized that Steve had turned and went running toward his shield.

"Oh, you're right! Thanks!" He thanked her as he released her and she let herself fall at his feet as he shot webs at Steve's hands. Steve leaned against his grip, pulling forward toward his shield, but then he tried a different approach, pulling both his arms in front of him, then jump spinning, wrapping himself in the web but sending the kid flying.

Kayla trotted over to Steve and helped him get untied. "He's a nice boy. I wonder where Tony found him." She said sincerely, and Steve just stared at her.

The kid got up and sent a web toward Steve's shield, but Steve pulled him forward and hit him in the face with it, knocking Spiderman to the ground. He scrambled to his feet, then sent webs to the jetbridge, pulling himself up to stand above the pair.

"Did Stark tell you anything else?" Steve asked, looking up at the kid.

"He said you're wrong, but you think you're right. And that makes you dangerous." Spiderman swung down from the underside of the bridge, shooting webs at Steve and Kayla, but Steve dodged one and as Spiderman was about to kick Steve he jumped and met his side first, sending the kid flying back again. Kayla ripped the web off her forearm, shivering a little from the feeling of it.

"This kid never gives up!" She exclaimed, eyes growing weary.

Steve hit his shield against the jetbridge, bringing it down and Spiderman caught it, holding it up.

"You got heart kid," Steve told him with a smile, Kayla taking a step toward the teenager. "Where you from?"

"Queens."

Steve smiled broader, then gestured to himself, "Brooklyn." Kayla looked between the two of them, then followed Steve as he ran away, hoping the kid wouldn't get crushed. She hoped someday they'd be able to talk under better circumstances. And boy did she want to study that kid, he was stronger than her, and she could really upgrade her super soldier serum with that knowledge...

Steve and Bucky found themselves on opposite wheels of a plane, meeting each other stare as they panted. "We gotta go, that guy's probably in Siberia by now," Bucky said quickly, and Steve looked to the sky, trying to think.

"We gotta draw out the flyers. I'll take Vision, you get to the jet."

"No, you get to the jet! Both of you!" Sam ordered, being chased by War Machine through the sky. "The rest of us aren't getting out of here."

Steve looked from Bucky to Kayla, and she pulled her lips into a straight line. It's as she'd said earlier. _He_ had to get to Siberia. "I'm not leaving you Kay," Steve told her quickly, reading her thoughts.

"I mean, I'm right here, I was planning on coming. But Sam's right. We've gotta go." She looked to the sky as another arrow exploded and Clint spoke into Steve's comm.

"As much as I hate to admit it, if we're gonna win this one, some of us might have to lose it."

Steve hung his head in frustration, he was out of options. It was time to go.

"This isn't the real fight Steve," Sam said, and Kayla watched her love with bated breath, knowing he'd make the right call.

"What's happening?" Kayla asked after a moment, Steve and Bucky listening to their comms.

"This new guy's got a plan," Steve answered, and Bucky didn't look so convinced.

"He's kind of funny. I like him." Kayla said, looking over her shoulder to the rest of the fight. "Whatever it is, it better be soon, they are gonna notice we're missing from the main stage."

Suddenly Ant Man was over fifty feet tall, and the three stood in shock, staring at the little man as he swung Rhodey around through the air.

"I guess that's the signal," Cap said in amazement, then realized Kayla was already almost to the quinjet, Bucky right on her heels.

Vision used the mind stone to bring the air traffic tower crumbling down in front of the quinjet, but Kayla realized that Wanda had caught it, holding it up as she crouched down to keep her powers strong. Kayla slowed to a stop, turning back to look at the girl.

"Kayla! We've got to go!" Steve screamed, no gentleness in his voice.

Kayla looked from him to her, he was walking backward as Bucky kept running. He was waiting for her. She turned back to Wanda, who was struggling to keep the tower up. "I-can't..." Kayla sobbed, but she turned and ran after Steve and Bucky anyway, causing Steve to pick up the pace. As the tower fell, she let it fall before her, then started climbing the debris. "Steve!" Kayla cried out, worried he'd been crushed.

"I'm fine! We're fine, Kay, where are you?" Steve yelled, looking up at the debris. Kayla managed to scale it pretty quickly, jumping down into Steve's waiting arms, but when they turned, they faced Natasha.

"You're not gonna stop." She accepted sadly, seeing that their family was destroyed.

"You know I can't." Steve's eyes pleaded for mercy. She was the only thing between him and saving everyone...

"I'm gonna regret this." She started, but she shot past them, Kayla dodging out of the way, even though the shot wasn't meant for her. She turned around to see T'Challa walking toward them, and she scrambled behind Natasha, grabbing her arms as she shot again.

"What are you doing?" Natasha asked as she kept firing at the approaching Black Panther.

"I'm saving your ass. And your reputation. I made you shoot." Kayla hissed in her ear, loosening her grip to show Natasha she meant no harm.

Steve looked back over his shoulder, blue eyes pleading for her to come. "Go! I'll be fine." Kayla promised, then turned to face T'Challa again, an animalistic scowl on her face as she shoved her cheek closer to Natasha, giving the appearance she was controlling the redhead. Steve knew she was sacrificing herself for her again, so he could save the world. He owed her that much to succeed.

"You won't get past me T'Challa. I told you. I'll kill you." The Black Panther grabbed Kayla's long hair, and yanked her away from Natasha, just as the quinjet flew off into the sky, giving away his only chance to stop them from escaping. Kayla pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, not trying to get up onto her feet. "Haven't you ever been in love?" She wept, watching as Steve flew away.

"What did you say to me? You stood between me and my revenge-" T'Challa raised his claws to strike her, but Natasha intervened.

"Leave. Her. Alone." Natasha threatened, eyes ablaze with fire. Nat turned from T'Challa to Kayla, hoisting her onto her feet, but not letting go once she was standing. "You... are in so much trouble." She said sadly, her face pale.

"I know... but it'll all be alright. At least... we'll all be together." She looked out toward the carnage on the tarmac. "Is... is everyone okay?" She asked weakly, but all three looked to the sky as Rhodey, Tony, and Sam all took off after the quinjet. Suddenly Vision shot at Sam, but he swerved, and the blast hit Rhodey. Suddenly, the man was falling from the sky.

"Oh God..." Kayla gasped, suddenly seeing the price of this Civil War.


	58. Chapter 58

Steve flew the quinjet toward Siberia, never looking back. He couldn't look back. If he did, he would doubt everything he was doing.

"What's gonna happen to your friends?" Bucky asked solemnly from the seat behind Steve.

Steve stared ahead, eyebrows drawn as he watched the fast-approaching horizon. He sighed deeply, then let his gaze fall for a moment, not wanting to think about what horrors awaited those who chose to follow him. "I don't know... whatever it is, I'll deal with it."

"I don't know if I'm worth all this Steve. You left your girl, your future wife, you left her behind because of me. You might never see them again, and if it wasn't for me, you'd be getting ready for your wedding in a few weeks." Bucky's voice was just above a whisper. He felt guilty for coming between Steve and his happiness. He'd never, _ever,_ wanted to be the reason Steve was unhappy.

"I'm going to get back to her, with you in tow. I need my best man." Steve looked to the side, showing Bucky his tight-lipped smile that came across as too grim. "What you did... what they are blaming you for, that wasn't you. You didn't have a choice."

"I know. But I did it. And now we are riding into death. It's not too late to turn around. Go back."

Steve looked straight ahead, knowing he had to go forward, but wanting so desperately to go back.

* * *

"Where are you taking us?" Kayla asked as Natasha held her by the wrists.

"I don't know." Natasha mumbled quietly as T'Challa watched Task Force agents handcuff the other Avengers. Natasha leaned in to whisper to Kayla, "What you did, taking the fall for me, you didn't have to do that. I'd already decided- I was already going to let them go."

"Yeah, but if I had let you do that, then you'd be in handcuffs too. And you're my friend. And you did nothing wrong. I wasn't going to let you take the fall for coming to their aid. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. For you."

Natasha looked around, seeing that everyone else was loaded up tightly into two different choppers. She breathed deeply, then put her head to Kayla's hair again, "Look, you are stronger than me. Shove me away and make a break for it, I'll go after you, and I'll let you get away. You can walk away from this. If you go with them, everyone will know you're alive. You can be free and then when Steve gets back you can go to him."

Kayla tilted her head toward the sound of Natasha's voice, a short laugh emitting from her nose, "I appreciate the offer Nat... but I can't leave them. They followed Steve into this mess. He's gone, but I'll pay the price with them." Kayla turned and looked her friend in the eye, Natasha nodding slowly.

"Are you ready for the world to know who you are?"

"Yes." Kayla said confidently, "Give me their worst."

Natasha pushed Kayla forward, holding her hands behind her back. The girl walked confidently, blonde hair falling around her shoulders to her waist. Her hair was dirty, and it was greasy from being on the run, but she didn't care. Her arms were scabbed from hitting the concrete, blood already dried as her body worked to heal itself. The black pants that once belonged to the CIA agent were torn, and her white tanktop was grey with dirt and sweat. She held her head high as they approached the van.

"Agent Ross. There's... one more." Natasha informed as she showed the Task Force Commander the blonde.

His eyebrows shot to the sky as his jaw hit the floor, eyes taking in the sight before him. Kayla heard Wanda gasp from inside the helicopter.

"I've... heard stories that you were alive. Whispers. A mysterious blonde. But it wasn't possible. This... isn't possible." Everett Ross stammered, studying the girl.

Kayla laughed a short, loud laugh right in his face, then shook her chest joyfully at his disbelief. "Yeah, yeah it's pretty impossible, isn't it? Yet here I am! In the flesh. Sam saved me, that gentleman over there," Kayla nodded her head to where Sam was handcuffed into the helicopter, stripped of his wings. "He saved myself and I threw in my lot with Captain America. My fiance." She eyed the young Ross curiously, waiting for his reaction. All she got was an over exaggerated nod.

"Seems like you have bad taste in men Miss Ellis." He finally answered, taking a set of handcuffs and clapping them on her wrists. He turned to her, and his gaze softened, "Does the former President know you're alive?"

Kayla shrugged, "He should now, I saved his life in Vienna." She spat back, eyes turning dark. "Do whatever you want to me. Lock me up, experiment on me, do your worst. At least Steve is gone. He'll do what he needs to do, and then he'll come for me. I'm sure of that."

"Excuse me, did you say experiment on? Why would we need to experiment on you?" Everett asked quickly, a bit of sarcasm hiding in his voice.

Kayla's eyes narrowed as a devilish grin broke across her face. Then she just shrugged, looking up at the chopper's spinning blades, "No reason at all Commander Ross. I'm just... me."

Then Ross took the girl from Natasha and shoved her into the helicopter with Sam and Scott, slamming the door shut before heading back to his car. "Take them to the raft. Secretary Ross will deal with them there." He looked to Natasha and gave a curt nod, the redhead staring at the choppers nervously.

* * *

The helicopter flew over the ocean, waves crashing against each other, but no land in sight. Scott looked like he was going to be sick from the turbulence, but Sam took it all in stride.

"Where are they taking us?" Scott finally asked, looking at Sam, but Sam just shrugged.

"Who knows man. We're in some deep shit." Sam muttered, looking back out the window.

Kayla sighed, turning her left hand over to look at her engagement ring. She smiled fondly at it, then pulled it close to her chest. She pursed her lips together in anger, knowing that the past two years of hiding would all go to waste. But she wasn't going to leave them. She wasn't going to leave Wanda.

Suddenly, the helicopter stopped moving forward and hovered in place for a moment. Kayla saw the other helicopter do the same nearby and suddenly it was landing. "Are they going to drown us?" Scott asked incredulously, looking out the window in panic.

"If we're lucky," Kayla grumbled, straining against the handcuffs to stretch them, but not snap them. The helicopter hit solid ground, and that was enough to make Kayla stop being sarcastic. She looked to Sam and Scott with true interest as they began to lower into a building.

Once they were in darkness, the pilot opened the door to the chopper and there were guards stationed to take them to their cells. They roughly grabbed Scott and Sam first, then Thaddeus Ross himself appeared before Kayla.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't little Miss America. Devoted girlfriend following the Captain from death's door to prison. What will your father say?" Ross taunted as another guard held Kayla, but not as tightly.

"He'll say he's glad I'm alive and to let me go." She answered sweetly, batting her eyes at the Secretary of State.

He laughed, matching her sarcasm easily, "That's funny. I've always heard you were funny and smart! Always researching Doctor Banner who I love so much. It's such a shame. You were meant to be so much more than a criminal. You were meant to have a life beyond these bars, but not even your connections can help you now."

Kayla shook her head in disagreement. "You don't get it, do you? It's not my political status and notoriety that's going to get me out of here. It's Captain America. Because he's going to come for me. Just wait and see."

"Take her to change. Put her in a cell. Same type as the others." Ross ordered before turning to walk away, but Kayla wasn't done playing.

"Let me see the girl." She commanded, but when he turned to face her again she softened. "Please, I just want to know she's okay."

"Wanda Maximoff is dangerous, and she'll be treated as so. I really don't care whether or not she's okay." He sneered, then turned as Kayla began to pull against the guards who held her.

"She's stronger than she looks!" One man muttered, and gave up, not wanting them to see her as more of a threat than she already was. They walked her over to a changing room and handed her a grey long-sleeved undershirt and long blue pants with a matching short sleeve shirt and grey slipper shoes for her feet.

"Gross." She mumbled, but they just pushed her into the changing room and waited for a moment before she emerged.

Her talk with Ross had taken longer than she'd realized, everyone else was already locked up. The former Avengers were the only ones locked up on the Raft. She was pushed into the room, past Clint, Scott, and Sam. They pulled her across the hexagon prison, she was pulling against them, looking over her shoulder. When they finally stopped her, she looked ahead to the empty cell that was open. She balked for a moment, looking to her left, and then she threw the guards off of her, lunging toward the glass.

"Wanda!" She cried out, seeing several guards in the cell with her, putting her in a straight jacket. "Let her go! Please!" Kayla cried out, and Wanda just stared at her, unable to say anything to stop her current situation from continuing.

The guards grabbed a hold on Kayla again and threw her into the cell beside Wanda's so Kayla couldn't see it. Once Kayla was inside, the guards hit a button, and foot thick slab of glass came down to block her, and metal bars appeared on the other side of the glass. She was trapped. And she was alone.

* * *

Hours went by. Maybe days for all she knew. Kayla laid on her bed and stared at the ceiling. The men would occasionally talk, but they were too far away to converse with. Wanda didn't talk, even though Kayla tried to comfort her. She couldn't. She couldn't fix this either. She couldn't blame herself, per say, but if she had pushed Steve harder... maybe things would have been different. If she had only tried to get him to see what Tony saw... but she didn't she followed him blindly, as she often did. She followed him, and he followed Bucky and now they were gone, and she was here, locked up.

For the first time since the guards left the five, the door opened. Kayla didn't both to look, because she didn't care to know who'd come to try to get information out of them. No one talked to her. They knew better.

She heard Clint clapping loudly, and she bent her head back over the edge of the bed to see who he was clapping at. "The Futurist gentlemen! The Futurist is here! He sees all! He knows what's best for you, whether you like it or not."

 _Stark._

Kayla rolled over slowly to lay on her stomach, and she propped herself up on her elbows, enjoying the show as Clint mocked Tony Stark. Once Tony was fed up with Barton, he moved to Sam, but Scott taunted him as well, saying to never trust a Stark. Finally, he stopped in front of Sam, his back turned to her.

"How's Rhodes?" She heard Sam ask softly. A good man, worried about his fellow soldier more than himself. Something Tony didn't know much about.

They spoke quietly for a moment, then Kayla saw Sam looking up and around curiously, and she stood up slowly, making her way to the glass, but Tony was quiet, she couldn't hear him.

Suddenly, the large door opened again, and everyone's attention turned to see who had come. Tony looked nervous, but when he saw who it was, he looked... anxious. "Well, I better go. I'm sorry you don't understand Sam. I really am." Tony threatened, staring at the woman who passed him with worried eyes.

"Mom?" Kayla sobbed, tears beginning to run down her face as she saw her mother for the first time in two years. The former First Lady ran up to the glass and put her hands through the bars where she pressed against Kayla's on the other side of the glass.

"Kayla! Kayla you've... been alive? All this time?" Sandra cried, matching tears staining her cheeks. "Your father said you saved him in Vienna, I thought he was just imagining things, but then Secretary Ross called me-"

"How's Dad? I was so worried about him after the explosion." Kayla interrupted, needing to know where her father was.

"He's in the hospital. He's gonna be okay... he'll be okay..." Sandra took a step back from the glass, staring at her daughter. "I just... can't believe you didn't tell us. You let us believe you were dead, but you were alive this whole time? With them?" She pointed over her shoulder to the other Avengers.

Kayla's lower lip began to quiver, "I was scared Mamma. I was so scared."

"Why honey? Why would you be scared to tell us you're alive?" Sandra pushed, shaking her head, trying to understand. "It was selfish of you. I'm so _mad_ at you."

"You have the right to be, I just didn't want to be... who I was... anymore. I wanted to find myself and I didn't feel like myself and I was scared because I didn't want people to experiment on me and I just wanted to be with Steve-"

"Experiment on you?" Sandra lifted her head to meet her daughter's eye. "Why would they do that?"

"Mom." Kayla started slowly, seeing she'd made a big mistake, "Mom, I need you to help me out of here. Steve needs my help."

"What happened to you?"

"I need to get out of here... I need to go to him..."

"What are you not telling me?"

"You aren't taking me home this time, I'll find my way back to Steve."

"Is this why you didn't tell us?" Sandra asked, studying the girl, trying to find something _wrong_ with her. "I don't understand, and I can't get you out. I'm sorry."

Kayla's face fell, the tears falling from her jaw, "What? I-I thought you were coming to get me?"

"I came to see you, but they aren't letting you out. Not until they know for sure they've got Captain Rogers. You help a criminal escape custody."

"He's not a criminal."

"He rejected the Accords."

"Doesn't make him a criminal."

Sandra threw her head back in annoyance, patience growing thin, "What did that man do to you that's made you so crazy?"

"I'm going to marry him!" Kayla slammed her fist against the glass and it started to break, thousands of little cracks forming instantly. She stood back and looked at it wide-eyed.

"How-how did you do that?" Sandra asked, backing away from her daughter.

Kayla slammed her fist into the glass again, and it started to crack some more, now almost the whole pane was falling apart. Red lights started to blink and an alarm was sounding, guards would be there in an instant.

"Unless-"

Sandra met Kayla's green eyes, and her mom gasped, a beaming smile on her face. "Honey, you did it?"

Kayla swung around and used her momentum to kick the glass, causing it to shatter everywhere. Once the glass was gone, she grabbed onto two of the metal bars and pulled them apart, yelling as she used all her strength to bend the metal. She then wiggled out of the larger hole and hugged her mom. "Clearly they don't use vibranium." She pulled away and looked toward the door as guards started arriving with machine guns. She turned her head to her mother but kept her eyes on the men. "You trust me?"

Sandra nodded, "Against my better judgment yes, you are my child."

Kayla grabbed onto her mother's arm and started walking toward the men, using her mom as a shield. "You are going to let me go, I'm taking her with me."

The blonde looked toward Wanda desperately, but she wasn't getting all of them out. She didn't have enough leverage for that. She was going alone.

The men began to back up and Kayla made her way to the door, pushing herself against the edge so everyone was on the same side. Once she was through the doorway, she pushed her mom to the ground so she'd be out of the line of fire and took off sprinting, avoiding the bullets as they chased after her.

Kayla ran around the corner, skidding to a stop to hide beneath some boxes. She could hear Secretary Ross yelling at his guards as he stormed out of the control room. "What do you mean she escaped? There's no possible way she could break that glass!"

Once they were passed, Kayla continued moving, finally finding the helicopter pad. It was unguarded, only the pilot who had flown her mom there. "Uh, hi, we probably haven't met, I'm Sandra's daughter, and she's using the restroom, but I'm going to wait here in the chopper-" Kayla grabbed the pilot and threw him against the wall roughly.

She realized the roof was still open, meaning Stark had just left. Kayla rose the helicopter quickly and saw the Stark helicopter heading one direction, and she began to follow it, but before long, she noticed Iron Man shoot out the bottom, going in the other direction, she quickly turned the chopper around, and began following Tony to find Steve.


	59. Chapter 59

When Tony landed in Siberia near the base, he couldn't help but ignore the whirring blades of a helicopter that had followed him there. He'd had Friday run a scan on the chopper, one person inside, female. He turned to face the helicopter where it landed, his helmet coming off as he walked towards Kayla.

"You shouldn't be here." He snarled, helping her down from her ride. Once his hands were on her hips though, she grabbed them tightly, threatening to crush the metal if she could.

"Neither should you." She hissed, but before she could throw a punch at his face, he caught her hand.

"Hey, hey! I'm here to help Steve. I found out about the psychiatrist. His names Zemo. He's from Sokovia. He... did all of this. Steve was right."

Kayla straightened, tugging at her long grey undershirt as the snow blew around her, "What did you say?"

Tony rolled his eyes, "I know it's hard to believe that I'm admitting I was wrong, but Steve was right. Bucky was framed. I'm here to help them take down the super soldiers.

Kayla wrapped her arms around the metal suit, hugging Tony as tight as she could. "Thank you! Thank you so much! What's the plan?" She asked as she settled onto the ground, rubbing her hands together to keep warm as she shifted her weight.

Tony looked from the blonde, her hair swirling around her face, and to the bunker. He grimaced when he thought about what could await them, and he knew what Steve would want him to do. "Stay here."

Kayla's smile fell, her brows crunching, "What? No... I'm here to help..."

"Steve would never forgive me or himself if anything happened to you. It could get really bad in there. Please, just stay out here. If none of us are out in an hour, come in and check, but stay hidden. Please. Do it for Cap." Tony requested, motioning with his head to the helicopter. "Besides, your prison scrubs aren't good enough for fighting. You'll freeze to death out here."

Kayla nodded quickly, pouting as she looked toward the bunker. "I know you are right. Just... promise me you'll protect him? As best you can?"

Tony smiled at the girl, patting her hand, "I promise to try."

With that, Tony Stark made his way into the bunker to find Steve and Bucky, and Kayla went back into the helicopter to wait.

* * *

 _Forty-five minutes._

It had been forty-five minutes and Kayla hadn't seen or heard anyone. No one was trying to escape the compound. She didn't hear any fighting, but that didn't mean it wasn't happening. With every moment that passed, her heart beat faster and harder. The time approaching for her to check on the men. Was more time better? Did that mean they were taking care of the Winter Soldiers? Did that mean they had captured or killed Zemo? Or was the silence...

 _No._

No, they were fine. They had to be fine. Steve was always fine. Nothing bad ever happened to _Steve._

 _Forty-nine minutes._

If she went in now, she would only be eleven minutes early... it's not like they were watching the clock right?

No.

She should give them their hour. Tony said an hour. Give them an hour...

 _Fifty-four minutes._

That's when she saw him.

A glimmer of red, barely moving.

Kayla launched herself from the chopper, sprinting toward Tony. When she reached him, she found his face bloody, and his arc reactor cracked. He could barely move, his suit broken beyond repair.

He was carrying Steve's shield.

"Tony! Tony what happened? Tony's where's-" Kayla looked from Tony to the bunker, but it was quiet. She dove to enter, but he caught her, not saying a word, simply holding her back. He looked toward the compound, then at the blonde girl, her lip starting to tremble, waiting to hear where her Steve was.

"He's gone." He said simply. He didn't elaborate. He didn't clarify. He just fell to his knees, letting the shield fall beside him, and hung his head.

Kayla's eyes began to well, her mouth open in a silent sob, but no sound could escape. Her chest started to heave violently, and she fell to the snow. Once she landed, she looked up at the bunker again, but there was no life coming from inside. She let out a wail that made Tony wince, but she didn't care.

Steve was gone.

Tony looked at the girl thoughtfully, but she didn't notice his inner turmoil. She didn't realize the pain and anger that was swelling inside him. But he didn't lie.

Steve was gone.

He just... didn't elaborate. He didn't tell her that Steve thought she was still on the Raft, because he hadn't had a chance to talk to Steve about her apparent escape. He didn't tell her that he left to save Bucky and that he'd most likely come back for her. He didn't tell her that he had tried to kill her fiance, attacking him so viciously and not holding back. He didn't tell her that the crack in his arc reactor was from Steve...

Kayla wailed into the snow, grasping the white until her fingers turned blue. Tony hoisted himself up, then pulled up on her arm to try and lift her, but she shook her head. "Leave me here... leave me here to die."

"No. I need you to fly us back. Please... he wouldn't have wanted this for you." Tony requested, voice gentle. Was he going too far?

 _He killed my mom._

Kayla lifted her head, the snow flying around her like an ice queen. She was pale, but her eyes were red. Tony wasn't sure how she was able to breathe after all the sobbing she'd done in the past moments. Her mouth hung open, she was unable to breathe through her nose, but every gasp of air was freezing cold on her lungs. She stared at Tony.

"Did... did he win?"

Tony looked at the poor girl before him and told her the truth. "Yes. He won."

Kayla began to shake and cry again, but this time to the sky. A warrior who lost her leader, her partner, her love. She fiddled with the ring on her finger, pulling it off slowly. Then she stared at him a moment and threw it into the snow before standing and shuffling to the helicopter.

Once she was turned away, Tony reached down to see what she had retrieved. It was her engagement ring. The billionaire held onto the ring, eyes cold as he stared at the bunker. Steve would pay for lying to Tony. He would make sure of that.

* * *

She drove the helicopter in silence until they were nearing the coast of New York. She spoke quietly, staring ahead, her voice quaking from yelling. "I-uh, stole this from my mom? What should I do?"

Tony watched her for a moment as the compound came into view. "Maybe, you could just lay low for a bit, until you figure out what you are going to do. I mean, you can't stay here, unfortunately, because they'll find you. But maybe for a few days until you come up with a plan... you already have a room. And the dog. Can't forget... the dog..."

Kayla nodded slowly, lips pulled tight, "So, I'll land near the trees. You could always say you found the chopper, but not me?"

"I was never in Siberia as far as Ross is concerned," Tony answered as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

Kayla looked to him, eyes practically grey, "Then neither was I. I came back here to hide."

When Tony arrived at the front door, he was greeted by Vision, who eyed Kayla wearily. "Mr. Stark." He greeted, never taking his eyes off the girl.

"Let her be Vis... Cap's gone." Tony explained quietly, and the android turned quickly to face Stark. He didn't say anything, just looked between the two of them, seeming to sense something Kayla couldn't quite put her finger on. But she was too devastated to read people.

Steve was gone.

"I'm gonna go get cleaned up." Kayla mumbled before turning to Vision, "Could you maybe help Tony with his suit? He really took a beating... I wasn't there. I- followed directions for once." She sighed, wondering if she had helped if the outcome would have been different. Wondering if she could have saved him.

Before Kayla could get to the living quarters, Natasha appeared in the doorway. She looked to Kayla's red eyes and Tony's battered suit. She opened her mouth to ask where Steve was, but Kayla just shook her head, tears beginning to flow again. They practically crashed into each other as Natasha wrapped her arms around the blonde, patting her head as she sobbed into the assassin's shoulder. Natasha shushed her gently, looking up at Tony, but he just dropped his gaze to the floor, avoiding Natasha. A tear slid down her cheek, but she'd never admitted it.

Steve was gone.

When Natasha finally let her go, she took a sharp inhale of breath and nodded her head strongly before wiping under her eyes. "I'm so tired... and I need to shower... I promise I won't be here long. They'll come looking for me. I'll find a place to go."

She left the room, and the three Avengers stood in silence until Vision finally took Tony's arm over his shoulder and walked him to his suite.

When Kayla opened the door, Zawadi jumped at her happily. He licked her face, but to her dismay, he kept looking behind her at the door. Waiting. Waiting for Steve.

"He's gone Zaddi. Daddy's gone." She cooed softly, holding back tears. The dog didn't' understand, only wagged his tail and looked to the door again before jumping to Kayla's face to lick more tears. Kayla fell to the ground, allowing the dog to love on her. She needed to feel love. She needed to feel not alone.

She needed to feel like she wasn't alone.

Kayla went to the bathroom and stripped off her prison clothes, throwing them in the trash. She turned the water on as hot as it would go and climbed in, letting it wash away the terrors of the past few days. The Accords. The helicopter. The warehouse. The airport. The Raft. Siberia.

She realized how long she'd been standing there, not washing her hair, when the water began to run cold. She poured shampoo into her hand and began to scrub, trying to find the Kayla that existed before this mess.

Trying to find the Kayla she was before.

Devastation can drive people to do terrible terrible things. It can drive apart friendships and families. It can drive people to seek revenge. It can drive people to seek comfort.

Kayla couldn't sleep. When she laid on the pillow, all the saw was Tony's vision. The one where everyone died. Except everyone was locked away in a glass prison, and the only one who died was Steve. She watched from her own prison cell as he died before her eyes and she couldn't stop it. She couldn't stop it. She imagined his lifeless face, staring, and she couldn't get to him. She couldn't save him.

The clock struck two am and she couldn't sleep. She couldn't lay awake and think though, that was so much worse. She needed to get her mind off of Steve. She had to find some comfort in this world that she didn't want to live in anymore.

What would Kayla do before Steve?

She knocked on the door.

Tony answered.

Kayla looked up at him, eyes still red and hazy, no inhibitions, only a desperate need for companionship.

"Pepper's gone isn't she?" She asked abruptly before the man could say anything. "Steve told me she's gone." Tony didn't answer her question, he just opened the door wider to let her in.

As she passed him to enter the room, taking off her bathrobe behind him, Tony couldn't help but smirk. Steve may have lied, fought, and betrayed him, but now Tony would have the one thing Steve never would because he left. This time, Tony won.

Kayla once told Natasha Romanoff that she'd never slept with a man that she loved. And now she never would.


	60. Chapter 60

Author's Note: ENDGAME TRAILER GUYS! My gosh, I'm so excited and broken inside. So here's the deal, I have a plan for Infinity War. However, I'm debating about writing a 'Sequel'? to this story that takes place between the end of Part 4 and Infinity War. However, if no one is interested in reading lots of dorky fan fiction cliques featuring fluff and chaos, then I'll just time jump ourselves to Infinity War and get this awful devastation started! Leave me a review and let me know: Jump to Infinity War, or write a sequel story and post Infinity War when Endgame comes out? Thanks for all the love and support 3

As dawn rose over the Avenger's Base in Upstate New York, Kayla Ellis did not rise. Too exhausted from weeping, too ashamed to face her own reflection. She stayed wrapped in the black cover's of Tony Stark's bed, pulling the pillow over her face as the man lifted the blackout shades silently. He watched the girl, regretting last night. And the night before. And the night they got back.

He tricked her, but she was using him, needing some distraction. Heartlessly toying with the billionaire because now that Steve Rogers was gone she had nothing left to fight for. Nothing left to be _good_ for. At least the genius was smart enough to see her thoughtless game, knowing that no emotion lied in her kisses. She'd have slept with any man at that moment because she needed to not think about Steve. She needed to not think about the ring she left in the snow. She needed to think about anything in the world aside from how there was a black hole in her chest that used to be her heart.

"Mr. Stark, Secretary Ross is here to see you," Friday said through the speakers in the ceiling. Kayla pulled her head out from under the pillow at her electronic words, turning her face to the right to look at Tony. He clenched his jaw and went to put on a sweat suit.

"Tell him I'll be there in a minute Friday. It's been a long couple of days." He grumbled, emerging quickly from his closet in grey jogging pants and a matching sweater. He met Kayla's gaze, but he didn't recognize the girl before him. This wasn't the Kayla Ellis he knew. This was the one he'd read about in magazines. The one whose picture was always in the tabloids. This was the girl who had everything... and she'd fallen from grace.

"I should go." She scrambled out of bed, grabbing the black silk robe she'd discarded on the floor when she wandered in late last night.

"Stay here. Ross won't think to look for anyone here. Trust me. It's the last place he'd find you." His voice cracked, eyes saddening as he spoke the words. What had he done?

She nodded, pulling the robe tighter around herself as Tony gently closed the door behind him, leaving her alone in the billionaire's room. She wanted to feel remorse for her actions. She wanted to feel regret and guilt and stupidity. But she couldn't feel anything at all. It was as if she had no control over her own body, her mind was blank, and it moved on its own, moving through life to survive when her mind and heart simply didn't want to.

She looked around the room, finding one of Tony's cell phone's sitting on a table nearby. She quietly rose from the bed and tiptoed over to the device, illuminating the touch screen to life. She texted out a phone number she knew well, hitting the call button.

"Hey... look, things are really bad right now... where are you? I need a place to hide... Steve's... gone..."Kayla sputtered in between questions from the other line. "I'll meet you out back in an hour... thanks Tiff." Kayla ended the call and erased the history that it ever happened before silently placing the phone on the table where it was. She couldn't risk going back to her room with Ross around, so she crept around the room, gathering any belongings of hers that she had left over the past few days.

While she was leaning over, Vision fazed through the wall, coming to float behind her. "Hello, Miss Ellis."

She jumped at the sound of his voice, flinging her arms to the side to get her balance. She stood facing the android, hair a mess and face sallow. "What are you doing here Vision? Is Ross coming for me?"

"No, he's talking to Mr. Stark. Secretary Ross has no intention of snooping through Tony's bedroom. You are safe here. I have no intention of sending you back to prison. But I'm worried about your mental state." Vision watched her carefully as he spoke, waiting to see her reaction to his words. She sighed deeply, her eyelids fluttering as she struggled to find her response.

"I'm fine. As fine as I can be-"

"Captain Rogers would not have appreciated you sleeping with Mr. Stark. Doesn't that... bother you?" Vision pried, wanting to understand the girl before him.

Kayla eyed him, her jaw tight as she clenched her teeth, "What bothers me is that he's dead. That everything we promised, everything we planned is gone." She shrugged, water fighting to be released from her eyes, but she'd cried so many tears her ducts were almost dry, "It doesn't _mean_ anything. It's just... a distraction."

Vision nodded, staring at the wall behind the blonde, "I've been worried about Wanda. Mr. Stark said she's being kept unfairly. It makes me feel... empty... I think."

A sliver of a smile formed on Kayla's lips, green eyes brightening up at his worry for her friend, "It's normal to feel empty when someone you care about is gone."

"Don't fill the hole with nothingness then. Fill the hole with something good." Vision stated, sending the conversation back to her.

"I'm leaving, Vis. I'm... going home. To my parents." She corrected, knowing that as far as the android knew, this was her home here.

Surprise lit up his purple face, "Really? You're parents know you're alive?"

"I guess something good came from bad after all." She grumbled, and both of them turned when they heard the sound of voices outside the door. "I'm going to hide... I probably won't see you again Vision."

"Good luck Miss Ellis. I hope... you find what you're looking for. And I'm very sorry for your loss." Vision watched her, sensing something was off about the situation. Tony had never said Steve was dead. He just kept repeating he was gone. He was very articulate in his explanation. But who was Vision to suggest the man was lying? Vision fazed back through the wall, leaving Tony's room. Tony opened the door to show Ross it was empty, and as he had hoped, Kayla got the hint and hid.

"See, I told you... she came and went before I realized she even escaped. I don't know where she is... I'll let you know if I find her though. We all will. She can't hide for long, especially with people knowing she's alive." Tony said loudly.

Ross dropped his face and shook his head, "We aren't letting this spread beyond who already knows Tony. She's unstable, and if people know who she really is they may approach her, and she could hurt them. We need to be cautious. She shattered the glass at the Raft. Shattered it Stark. I've never seen anything like it!"

Tony smiled a little, then guided the grey-haired man out of the room, "People do crazy things when they are in love. I'm sorry to hear you haven't found Rogers yet, but if I hear anything, I'll let you know." Tony promised, walking Ross away from the living quarters.

With the two men far down the hall, Kayla sprinted to her room and began packing everything she could in a small duffle bag. She clipped Zawadi's leash onto his harness and looked around at her home one last time. They were going to knock down the wall and have the whole wing to themselves. There were a lot of plans they'd made. Steve never thought he could lose.

She opened the glass door in her bedroom and closed it quietly behind her before she took off running with her dog and her belongings toward the lake at the back of the complex. Once she was far away from the buildings, she turned around to look behind her, seeing her life fade away before she started wandering down the old dirt road that would lead her to Tiffany.

She let the warm June breeze blow through her hair, her feet aching from all the running she'd done over the past week. It had seemed like a lifetime since they'd been walking along the lake, planning their wedding. None of that mattered anymore. After twenty minutes, the girl and her dog found Tiffany's little grey Prius parked along the side of the road, the brunette leaning against the hood looking at her phone. Zawadi began to bark when they approached, and Tiffany raised her head to see the girl, breaking into a sprint when she saw her friend. "Kayla... I'm so sorry." Tiffany whispered in Kayla's ear as the blonde held her tight.

"Me too Tiff. Me too."

Kayla opened the back door and threw her duffle bag in, and Zawadi jumped in behind it, laying down with his head across the bag. Kayla climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up, then exhaled as she turned to Tiffany. "Stark doesn't know I left."

Tiffany's eyebrow arched, then she pursed her lips together and nodded, throwing the gear into reverse.

"I slept with him."

Tiffany slammed on the breaks, bringing the car to a screeching halt. "You... what? You cheated on Steve?"

"No! No, I would _never_ cheat on Steve!" Kayla defended, shaking her head from side to side as Tiffany started backing up again, "It's just, after he died, I..."

"I can't imagine what you are going through," Tiffany mumbled, finally getting turned back onto the dirt road and speeding off. "I get it. Emotions can sometimes run away with us."

"Yeah... or lack thereof." Kayla agreed, resting her head against the window and watching the trees fly by until they disappeared.

Tiffany drove them to a hotel where she was staying, sneaking Kayla in through the back door instead of the lobby so they wouldn't see the dog. When they reached the room, Kayla sprawled out on the bed, happy to be somewhere safe, and familiar, and away from the Avengers.

The girls ordered room service, Kayla practically eating Tiffany out of her life savings. She hadn't been eating at the base, too distressed to try to survive. But suddenly, she was free. Kayla hadn't realized when she began to feel trapped in those living quarters, but now she was in the real world. This time though, her family and friends knew she was alive. She could create someone new. She had to. The Kayla Ellis that had existed four days ago was dead. Buried as deep under the snow in that Siberian bunker as the man she loved.

They drank an exorbitant amount of alcohol, and Tiffany slurred her words as she whined about Sam being arrested, too drunk to be insensitive about Steve. They'd both lost the men they loved and they would deal with it like they always had. Reverting into their old ways.

"You know... we can't stay here forever," Kayla mumbled through a mouthful of sandwich, eating for the third time that evening.

Tiffany took another long swig from the bottle of Moscato, "We could always call your mom?"

"I left her stranded on an underwater prison and stole her helicopter."

"She's still your mom," Tiffany argued, toasting Kayla's adventures before taking another long swig, letting herself fall back onto the bed. Kayla wasn't drunk, so she just watched her friend, wishing she could drown her pain so easily.

The next morning Kayla did as Tiffany suggested, and she called her mother, asking if she could come home. Sandra tearfully answered the phone, giving them directions to their new home in Virginia. They hopped in the Prius and began the eight-hour drive, blasting music and singing off-key. Kayla did a lot of driving as Tiffany nursed her hangover from the night before.

When they arrived at the brick country house, Zawadi dove onto Kayla's lap and scrambled out the door as she opened it, running around the huge driveway toward Mathew and Sandra Ellis. Kayla floundered at attempting to stop the dog from her parents, unable to control him as well as Steve had. "Zawadi!" She called after the dog, but he ignored her, jumping up onto her father with muddy paws. Kayla reached them quickly and yanked the dog's harness, pulling him to the ground. "Bad Zawadi! You know better than that." She hissed, then turned to her father, giving him a hug, "I'm so sorry about him... he's been overly rambunctious since Steve's been gone."

Sandra wrapped her daughter in a hug, feeling her strong back as she did. "I'm sorry honey. I'm so, so sorry."

Kayla smiled weakly as she pulled away, looking at her parents. "I guess if I had to lose Steve, at least I got you guys back. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was alive..."

"Which your mother says is quite a story. Explains how you were able to carry me out of the building in Vienna." Matt smirked, crossing his arms as he studied his daughter. She wore a mid-length sleeve shirt, covering her upper arms, but he could see her muscles were tight against the fabric. Her pants hugged her thighs, and her stomach wasn't a slim as it once was, filling out the top nicely.

"Yeah... we'll have lots of time to talk, now that I'm cooped up here for... ever." She finished, squinting up at the two-story brick house. "This place is nice."

"Isn't it? We wanted to get off the grid a bit after your father stepped down. We've got a couple of horses, we like to go out riding through the field." Sandra gestured to the stable nearby.

"I used to love to ride. It's been years." Kayla told them, looking around. "Zawadi loves it. Lots of room to run."

"And no one will find you here. Secretary Ross has come looking for you a couple of times but we've sent him packing each time. I doubt he'll bother us again." Matt explained, looking to his wife. Her face was tight, remembering the encounter with the man. "Well, we should get you guys settled, we have a lot to catch up on." He gestured to the house and opened the door, showing the ladies inside their new home.


	61. Chapter 61

Kayla was riding one of her mother's horses through the field near her home at sunrise. She didn't sleep well, and the horses needed to be fed, so she'd wake up every morning to refill their water and food, then go out riding as the sun met the sky.

It was already an unusually hot morning in late July when she rode out to the open field on a young buckskin Quarter Horse. She rode hard and fast, pushing the horse to his limits. When she reached the fence, she slowed to a stop, giving the horse a chance to rest. Kayla dismounted and tied the reins to the fence, taking a seat on the grass nearby. The horse nuzzled the girl before taking a mouthful of green grass from beside her. Kayla stroked the horse's face as he ate, staring off into the distance.

It was then she heard the engine of a sports car running in the distance. She squinted against the rising sun in the east to see a small black car zooming toward her two-story brick home. Kayla's eyebrow raised as she stood, reaching behind her back to grab at the gun hidden in her belt. She couldn't be too careful. Ross had come looking for her several times, waiting impatiently for her to come home. She'd dodged phone calls from the Avenger's Base. Natasha and Tony had both tried calling, and she ignored them every time. Over the past two days, Natasha had called her seventeen times.

So Kayla shouldn't have been surprised when Nat emerged from the Corvette. Kayla tilted her head to the side curiously, then shoved the gun back into her belt before she untied the horse's reins to ride back to the house. She grunted as she swung her leg over the saddle, clicking to get the horse to start galloping back home.

When Kayla got back to the stable, she dismounted, leading the horse back into his stall before stooping to unbuckle the saddle quickly. She didn't want to keep Natasha waiting, but she also didn't want to hear what the redhead had to say. She'd been doing well with her family. She was... not happy, but she was okay. She rode every morning, and she read in a cozy chair by the window in her upstairs bedroom. She had every meal with her family, and she told them of her adventures with the Avengers. With Steve. The more she talked about him, the more she accepted that he was a memory. A beautiful, wonderful memory. Nothing could ever take that away from her, what they had was real.

Kayla could hear Zawadi barking loudly, but not aggressively. She pulled off the horse's bridle and hung it on its hook, moving her head slightly to the side to hear Natasha as the spy entered the stable.

"You didn't answer my calls." She said simply, standing in the open door with her arms crossed as Zawadi paced around the assassin.

"I've been hiding. And no offense, I didn't feel like talking." Kayla brushed some hay off her jeans as she finally faced the redhead.

"If you didn't want to be found, you should have ditched your phone. It was too easy to track you here. I can't believe Ross hasn't found you yet." Nat answered, looking around at the horses who ate noisily.

Kayla nodded, considering Nat's words as she looked to the ground, kicking at a rock, "He's been here. I've just been really good at hiding. But you're right. I should have ditched the phone."

"If you'd have answered, I wouldn't have had to steal a quinjet and rent a car to get to you. Would have saved me a ton of trouble." Natasha scolded, taking a step toward the blonde.

"Your choice of car is frivolous, you could have gotten something less flashy," Kayla answered cooly, not understanding why Natasha had come all this way just to bicker with her.

"Kay..." Natasha started, watching the girl carefully, "this is important."

"I told you, I'm hiding. Whatever it is doesn't concern me anymore, that life I had died with-"

Natasha grabbed each of Kayla's strong arms, her resolve strengthening as she prepared to tell her friend the news, "I need you to help me find him."

Kayla met Natasha's green eyes with her own. Natasha's held hope and Kayla's held nothingness, "He's gone Nat."

"No. No, he's not." Natasha argued, shaking Kayla gently, "Kayla Steve is alive. Tony got a letter from him. He's alive and he's out there somewhere. He broke the others out of the Raft. Tony got the call from Ross saying there had been a breach. It had to have been Steve..."

"Tony said Steve was dead," Kayla stated again, pushing each of Natasha's arms away from her roughly as she walked around the girl to leave the stable.

"Tony lied to you because Barnes killed his parents," Natasha called after the blonde, causing Kayla to stop in the open door, Zawadi panting up at her. She didn't turn around, but lifted her head slightly to the side, requesting Nat to elaborate. Natasha took a deep breath and continued as she slowly followed the girl, "Tony admitted to me that he led you on because he was angry and hurt. He didn't mean for it to go this far."

"He slept with me."

"I know. He should have told you the truth."

"He used me."

"We'll make him pay. But we need to go-"

"I'll kill him."

"No, Kayla... we need to find Steve. He needs us."

Kayla finally turned to see Nat was right behind her, seeing her derail slowly. She studied Natasha for any sign of deceit, but she found none.

Steve was alive.

"I have to go pack. I have to tell my family what's happened. Where's the quinjet?" Kayla asked as she grabbed Natasha by the wrist and tugged her toward the house.

"It's on an airstrip near here. If we go after Steve, we'll be on the run too. You won't be able to come back." Natasha explained, causing Kayla to stop and sigh, staring at the brick house. She had just gotten her family back, and now she had to leave them again.

She didn't have to leave them. She could stay. She could continue living as she did now, a simple life with her parents and best friend. She could ride at dawn every morning.

But Steve was alive.

He was alive, and he was still going to be her husband. She needed to find him and set things right. She needed to plead for forgiveness for the sins she commited in desperation. She needed to find Steve and tell him how much she loves him and how she was going to spend the rest of her life with him, even if it meant having nothing. She was going to go.

"Mom!" Kayla called as she entered the quiet house. She heard the sound of tea brewing on the stove and knew someone was awake. It was her father who came around the corner from the kitchen, wiping his hand on a towel. Kayla smiled weakly at him, eyes watering as she realized what she was about to do. "Daddy."

"What's she doing here?" He nodded toward Natasha suspiciously, noting his daughter's chance of demeanor at the spy's presence.

"Daddy, Steve is alive," Kayla whispered, and her father's smile grew as she ran to her and enveloped her in a hug.

He placed his hand against her hair and smiled before meeting Natasha's grim eyes. He suddenly realized Steve wasn't there to be with her. She was leaving to be with Steve. "I'll... go wake your mother." He answered simply, nodding at Natasha as he passed her to head up the stairs.

"Come on, we need to get ready to go. What should I bring?" Kayla asked quickly as she sprinted up the stairs after her father, Natasha on her heels.

"Everything you can pack tightly. I don't know where we are going. Bring as much money as you can. I don't know how long we'll be gone." Nat explained, looking around the simple bedroom overlooking the field where she had been riding. "Kayla... are you sure-"

"Yes, Nat. I'm sure." Kayla finished, yanking a large duffle bag from under her bed as well as a backpack from her closet. "I'm thankful to have had this time with my family. The way we used to be. But I belong with Steve."

"He's never going to stop fighting. You'll never have this again." Natasha warned, but Kayla didn't heed her warning. She continued packing, pulling out yoga pants and jeans, simple t-shirts and blouses and a sweater, as well as a heavy peacoat. "Kayla?"

"Yes, Nat?"

"I just want to make sure you understand, you're never coming back here."

"Never say never, Natasha." Kayla looked up at her friend, then made her way into the bathroom that her and Tiffany shared. She began packing up a makeup tote as the small brunette appeared in the doorway, rubbing her eyes.

"What's all this commotion?" She asked with a yawn, then nodded slightly to Natasha, "Why are you packing?" She suddenly jolted awake, realizing what Natasha's presence meant, "You're leaving? Where are you going?"

"Steve's alive Tiff. Tony lied to me and Steve is out there. I'm going to go find my fiance. He broke the others out of the Raft, he probably assumed I was still there. We're going on the run." Kayla looked up into her friend's hazel eyes, her determination softening. "I know... I know, I'm leaving. You... probably won't be at the wedding..."

Tiffany sighed, stretching her arms above her head, but there were no tears in her eyes, "I'd rather miss it than have the groom dead. I know you'll be happy. Selfishly, I hate you right now. So much. I'm not even sad because I'm so fucking angry at you, but I know you need to go. I love you Kay."

"I love you too Tiff," Kayla admitted as she zipped up her tote, then weaseled past Tiffany and Natasha to reenter her room. She put the makeup back into her duffle, then hoisted it over her shoulder before grabbing the handle of her backpack in her other hand. "It's time to go."

Tiffany led the way down the stairs, followed by Natasha, then Kayla. When they reached the bottom, both of her parents stood by the door, Sanda's lip quivering and eyes wet. Kayla took a deep breath and set down her stuff, walking slowly to her mom. "Mom, I-"

"Go to him, Honey." She commanded, grabbing her daughter's hands in her own, "Find him and marry him. And please, please try to be safe. I love you so, so much." Sandra pulled her super strong daughter into a tight hug, crying softly into the younger girl's thick blonde hair. She stroked her daughter's back, trying to memorize every part of her, in case she never saw her baby again.

When Kayla pulled away, she faced Tiffany, giving her best friend a death grip hug. "I love you so much Tiff." Kayla cried, squeezing her harder.

"I love you too. You're such a nutcase but I love you so much. Please be safe."

Then Kayla turned to her father.

"Dad?"

"Yes, Kiddo?"

"Does Steve have your blessing to marry me?" She asked quietly, and her father just laughed and pulled her into a hug.

"Yes, honey. I'd be honored to have him as my son. Tell him I said so won't you?"

"I will." Kayla promised, hugging her father as she sniffled back her tears, "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too Kayla." He answered, pulling away slowly.

Kayla slung her duffle easily over her shoulder again, and picked up her backpack. Natasha led the way out the front door, and opened the trunk of her car for Kayla to toss her stuff into. She looked around one last time at the brick house, the stable, and the family standing just outside the front door. She opened the passenger side door and stood for a moment, giving her family a short wave as she slid into the small car.

Before she could close the door though, Zawadi leapt onto her lap, effectly squishing her into her seat. "Hey!" She yelped and Natasha glared at the animal from the driver's seat.

"No." She snarled, eyeing the dog angrily.

"He's a good boy." Kayla cooed, rubbing his ears as he settled into the girl's lap, taking up most of the front seat except for Natasha.

Natasha shook her head as she clicked her seatbelt, "Where we are going is no place for a dog."

"Please? Look at him, he's a big lazy lug."

"Right now. He's also a demon." Natasha admonished, eyeing the Rhodesian with disgusted disdain.

Kayla smirked at her friend, taking a moment before speaking again, but Natasha finally sighed, "Alright, he can come. Put on your seatbelt, we better get moving."

Kayla kissed the dog's head, and she saw Tiffany laughing hysterically from the front porch, waving as the two girls drove off quickly, leaving Kayla Ellis's sleepy existence behind.

"We'll head to the airstrip, drop off the car. Quinjet's ready to go. All my stuff's already packed. If Steve really did break them out of the Raft, he must have a quinjet of his own. We may have to ditch our's when we get there." Natasha explained, driving much faster than the speed limit down the old dirt road.

"How are we going to find him?" Kayla asked earnestly, looking at the time in her phone. "I doubt he has his phone still..."

"Speaking of which." Natasha grabbed the phone out of Kayla's grasp and threw it out the window, watching it smash into the concrete before getting run over by a semi truck going the other way.

Kayla gave one long nod, mouth tight, "I should have expected that."

"We're off the grid now. We can't be traced. I worked on your suit, gutted the tracker from the fabric. We'll fly in stealth mode, then ditch the plane. We've got to be smart. And quiet." Natasha stared at the dog sleeping soundly in the girl's lap.

"Can we make a pit stop first, before we head overseas?" Kayla asked suddenly, looking to Nat.

"Where?" The assassin quesioned.

"The Avenger's Base. I need to talk to someone there."


	62. Chapter 62

Tony heard the quinjet landing on the roof of the launchpad around eleven. He was drinking his morning coffee in work out clothes with Rhodey. He had told his friend that the box he'd received earlier in the week was from Steve. He had also told Rhodes that Romanoff caught a glimpse of the letter, and had disappeared in the night.

So when the jet landed at ten past eleven, he wasn't surprised to see Natasha exit the plane second, after a very angry looking Kayla dressed in jeans and a blue tank top, black boots clipping along the tarmac as she stormed toward the glass doors.

When the blonde saw him, she charged over to him, and Tony just watched her, knowing he deserved whatever fury she enacted on him. When she was within punching distance, he winced, closing his eyes. But nothing came. After a moment, he opened his dark eyes to see the girl standing before him, her hands clenched into fists but held at her side as she worked hard to breathe evenly.

"Did you know?" She whispered, looking at Tony from under her eyelashes. She was giving him a chance. Maybe he thought Steve was really dead? Maybe the letter Natasha caught a glimpse of him reading was the first time he realized Steve had survived?

Tony cocked his head to the side, watching her, "Know what?" He could lie. He could play her game. He could save himself. But then he'd have lied to her twice, and she was going to find Steve Rogers. And Steve Rogers would undoubtedly tell her the truth, so it would be better if she heard it sooner, and from Tony.

"Did you know Steve was alive?" She croaked again, patience wearing thin.

"Yes." Tony said, and he could see the anger building in her face, "I never said Cap was dead. I said he was gone."

She socked him in the face.

The billionaire went down hard, landing on his back as the bones in his nose broke. As he struggled to push himself up onto his elbows, Kayla knelt on top of him, effectively pinning him to the ground. He gave up struggling against her and just huffed at her. "That hurt." He growled, more annoyed than sorry for his actions.

"You lied to me." Kayla hissed, grabbing him roughly by the collar. Rhodey made his way toward the pair, getting quite good at using his leg braces, but Natasha put up a hand to stop him.

"I never lied, I said Cap was gone. He left." Tony spat, trying to seem unafraid, but he knew the strength the girl had. He remembered Steve beating him to a pulp in Siberia. He could only imagine the emotional girl before him could do twice that and more with the anger she felt.

"You didn't exactly correct me when you climbed into bed with me." She snarled again, pulling him closer to her face.

He matched her stare, eyes hardening defiantly, "Bucky took everything from me. He killed my parents. He made me an orphan. And Steve knew. He knew and he hid it from me because he was selfish. He chose Bucky over me. He chose Bucky over all of us. I wanted to make him pay for that choice. So I took the one thing he wanted most."

Kayla threw him hard against the tile, hearing a crack from his skull as he hit it. Natasha flew to the girl's side and grabbed an arm, tugging up on her uselessly. "Kayla, that's enough. I know you're mad, but this isn't you."

"Isn't it?" She growled, still straddling the unconscious billionaire. He wouldn't taunt her again today. "He ruined my life."

"He was hurting, Miss Ellis. As were you." Vision appeared, floating toward her in his full battle gear. He was prepared to fight her if she didn't stand down.

Kayla stared at the android furiously, daring him to take her from her prey. But she knew when she was beaten, and this opponent would crush her. She rocked back onto her heels and stood, staring down at Tony with emotionless eyes. The fury had melted away, but the guilt hadn't taken over yet. She turned to Vision, meeting his gaze, "I was. And I'll deal with the consequences of that soon. As he did now." She turned back to the man, before turning to Natasha and Rhodey. "Take him to the hospital. I won't bother any of you again. If you let us go now." She bargained, looking between Rhodes and Vision who flanked each of her sides.

"Go. Tony knew what he was doing was wrong. He deserved it." Rhodey shrugged, pulling out his cell phone, "Go, now. You've got till he's in the hospital, then we're coming for you two." He looked from Kayla to Natasha, nodding in agreement with the spy.

As Natasha took off to get the quinjet started, Kayla lagged behind, looking over her shoulder to meet Vision's eye. "I'll take care of her." She said simply, and the android knew she wasn't talking about Natasha. Before Kayla walked through the glass doors she heard Rhodey hang up with the medics and dial another number.

"Hey Pepper? It's Rhodey... think you could meet me at the hospital? Somethings happened..."

* * *

"Where do we even begin?" Kayla mumbled as Natasha took to the sky in the quinjet, putting them into stealth mode quickly before Ross got word of her departure from the base.

"It will be easier for them to find us than the other way around," Natasha explained, setting the plane on autopilot for Europe. "We need to find some way to draw them out, but nothing too obvious. It needs to be subtle, but get to them and not to anyone else."

"What do you have in mind?" Kayla asked, looking at the woman in the pilot's chair as she turned to face her, deflated.

"I'm still working on it." She admitted quietly, meeting Kayla's gaze. "They don't want to be found, but... he'll want to find you. We need to use that to our advantage."

"But also not get caught in the process." Kayla clarified, going around in circles with the predicament. How do they get a message to Steve without alerting everyone else of their location?

"Steve's got to have some sort of lifeline. There must be someone who can get in contact with him... Unless..." Natasha thought, turning to a computer.

"Unless what?" Kayla asked, seeing what she was doing, she was trying to start a video call with another quinjet. "How do you know he'll answer?"

"I don't, but there's only one way to find out." She said as she watch the screen attempt to contact the other screen. Finally, it lit to life, but it wasn't Steve on the other end. "Clint!" Natasha exclaimed, relieved to see her partner on the screen.

"Nat! What are you doing? Why are you calling?" Clint asked, and Scott Lang asked who it was from the background. "It's Nat and Kayla!" Clint called over his shoulder.

"Clint, is Steve with you?" Kayla asked urgently, but Clint shook his head.

"No. He broke the four of us out of the Raft. Barnes wasn't with him. Scott and I are heading back stateside, we're going to try to make a deal. We have kids Nat." Clint explained sadly.

Natasha smiled grimly, then turned to Kayla before adding, "Do you know where we can find Steve and the others?"

Clint looked to Scott for a moment, then met her gaze, "Are you going to turn them in?"

"No." Natasha quipped quickly, "We're on the run. We are going to join them."

Clint nodded thoughtfully, then replied, "Steve and Sam are trying to find a place for Wanda. She doesn't want to run either, but America isn't her home. We left them in Scotland."

"Thanks, Clint. Good luck. If you need me, I've got my encrypted cell." Natasha beamed at her partner and he returned it.

"Likewise. I'll send you photos of the kids. I'm sure Nathaniel's getting huge."

"I'm sure he is," Natasha answered as the call ended, then she turned to Kayla. "So, Scotland?"

Kayla shrugged, "I can dig it. It's very...Wanda."

"We'll be there in about four hours." She heard a beeping from the console, "Barton just sent us coordinates. They are in Edinburgh."

Kayla looked out over the clouds, her nerves beginning to weigh down on her. She'd lost his ring. She'd slept with his friend. Would he even want to marry her anymore? There was also the matter of him leaving with Bucky. Even if Tony was mad, Steve should have figured out how to work things out. He shouldn't have just _left_. Natasha said he had just broken the others out of the Raft...she would have been imprisoned for weeks and he wouldn't have come for her? There was a difficult conversation at the end of this plane ride, and her anxiety about it made her wish she'd have stayed home.

"Kayla?" Natasha prodded, poking the girl gently in the arm.

Kayla's eyes sprouted open, suddenly hyper-aware of her surroundings. She'd been zoning out, "Sorry Nat... what were you saying?"

"I said at least we'll have a smaller haystack to find our needles in." She joked, but then sighed as she watched Kayla carefully, "You're nervous he'll be mad."

"I _know_ he'll be mad." Kayla admitted, resting her forehead in her hand, "I can't believe I was so stupid! I should have never believed Tony... even if I did, I should have never reacted that way. I don't know if Steve will be able to forgive me."

Natasha pondered her words before she spoke, "It will take time to rebuild his trust. He'll see this as you cheating on him, but you saw it as despair. He thought you have locked up alone, not running rampant thinking he was dead. He'll be hurt, but I think in time he'll forgive you. I think in time he'll understand."

"I don't even have his ring, Nat." Kayla grumbled, holding up her left hand, "I threw it in the snow when Tony said he was dead."

"About that-" Natasha hummed as she stood and opened up a drawer in the side of the quinjet. Kayla watched her curiously as she dug through a small black bag and eventually pulled out an object and turned to hand it to Kayla.

"My ring! But-but how did you?" Kayla gasped, grasping at the diamond and holding it to her chest as her blue eyes began to fill.

Natasha just shrugged, closed the drawer and sat back down, "Once I found the letter from Steve, I went snooping around Tony's quarters while he was training with Rhodey. I found this in his dresser drawer and took it. I figured you'd want it back, however, you lost it." She winked, then turned to look out the window.

"Thank you, Natasha. Thank you so much." Kayla grabbed Natasha's knee and squeezed it gently, the touch showing more between the woman than even a hug could have.

"Oh! That's not all I took for you!" Natasha stood again, a smirk growing on her face as she pressed in a code and another drawer popped open. She looked back at Kayla and tossed her head toward the drawer, "Come here, look at it." She urged before walking away.

Kayla finally rose from her spot and walked tentatively toward the open drawer. When she got closer she saw Captain America's shield positioned perfectly in a found holding case, clearly made for the weapon. She traced her fingers along the worn edges, over the bullet marks and Black Panther's claws. Steve's shield.

Kayla closed the door slowly, then turned back to the spy, "You had fun being a kleptomaniac didn't you?"

"Little bit, but Stark deserved it. He really does care about you. And Steve. He just... doesn't know how to deal with grief." Natasha interpreted slowly.

Kayla took a deep breath and then exhaled through her mouth, blowing out her cheeks, "He's not the only one apparently."

"Only a few more hours, then you'll get it out in the open. The sooner you tell him what happened, the sooner you can both start healing." Natasha told the blonde, watching patiently as the quinjet silently flew through the clouds.

Zawadi slept at Kayla's feet, seemingly content with being in the sky. Kayla didn't know what kind of life awaited her, but she knew there was no turning back now.


	63. Chapter 63

Natasha and Kayla walked the cobblestone streets of Old Town in Edinburgh with Zawadi leading the way, pulling on his harness. As much as Natasha hadn't wanted the dog to join them, she quickly realized he was helpful in keeping them on pace. Nobody seemed to want to get near the massive animal as he pulled against his thick leash, sniffing the ground around him.

They'd landed the quinjet out of town, and taken the train into the Edinburgh Waverly Station before beginning their quest. The large dog had pulled them toward a section called Old Town, and they had allowed Zawadi to lead them. "Zaddi, slow down!" Kayla yelped at the dog as he began to pull harder, rearing up on two legs as he pulled against the strong girl.

"Maybe we're getting close?" Natasha suggested, looking from the girl to her dog, "Let him go."

"What?" Kayla asked, exasperated with the Rhodesian.

"Let him go, see where he leads. He'll come back to you. If not... he'll be fine." Natasha shrugged, fine with either outcome.

Kayla took a leap of faith and released the leash, letting the dog take off running wildly down the street. Kayla turned to Natasha, annoyed that she'd have to chase after Zawadi through an unfamiliar city.

"Let's get something to drink. See if we can find a room for tonight. We know they're here, we just need to be patient." Natasha reminded Kayla, but the blonde was not a patient woman.

"My dog is lost." She mumbled her reply as Natasha led them to a small pub with outdoor seating. From here they could people watch, as well as keep an eye out for Zawadi. They got a table outside and ordered two beers, drinking slowly as the sun began to set.

"Jury's Inn looks cheap. It's nearby the railroad station. We could get a room there for tonight?" Natasha suggested as she asked for the check, pulling a wad of cash from the pocket of her dark wash jeans under her light brown jacket.

"I need to find Zawadi first. I need somewhere he can go..." Kayla argued but Natasha just rolled her eyes.

"The dog will go wherever we go, we don't need to worry about whether or not he's allowed. We are criminals on the run, the dog is the least of our worries." She hissed under her breath as she smiled at the waiter, taking a drink of the water to her left.

"You go get a room, I'll look for Zaddi." Kayla compromised, looking around, "He went that way, I'll wander there for a while, and then meet you at the hotel later? It's by the railroad station you said?"

"Yes. Just... be careful." Natasha said genuinely, watching her friend rise from her seat and walk out the little gate leading to the road.

* * *

Two hours of searching had come up empty-handed, and Kayla was getting worried. She was worried she'd never see her dog again, but she was also very very lost. She'd wandered the same streets several times and kept finding herself at the same street corner. At least she thought it was the same one, she didn't really know. She'd seen the same street names several times in different combinations.

"Zawadi!" Kayla called out into the darkness, pulling her peacoat close to her chest. "Zawadi where are you?"

"You lost miss?" Someone asked from behind her, and she was proud that she didn't jump at the sound, but her heart was pounding like a bass in her chest. She turned to see a tall, dark-haired man with thick glasses and hands in his long black trenchcoat. "What are you looking for?"

"My dog." Kayla was short with the man, not having the time or patience to be friendly to strangers. She had a mission to do. She had several missions: find Zawadi. Find the hotel. Find Steve.

The man sidled up to Kayla anyway, uninvited and not seeing he was unwelcome. "I can help you look. You look cold, here," He put his arm around Kayla's shoulders but she shimmied away quickly, turning to face the man.

"Excuse me, but I'd rather continue on alone if you don't mind," Kayla told the man, but he took a step toward her again, becoming more aggressive.

"It's not right for a woman to be alone this time of night... you can come back to my place, we'll find your dog in the morning." He grabbed a hold of her arm and held her tight. Was he... kidnapping her.

Kayla stared at his hand in disbelief, then she laughed. A full, hearty laugh that would make her sides hurt if she continued on with it. The man eyed her, not understanding what was so funny about him taking her against her will. He was prepared for her to call for the police, not laugh.

"You're coming with me." He grabbed her with his other hand, and Kayla elbowed him in the gut, sending him stumbling back a step.

"No." She laughed, taking a step closer as he tried to come back at her, "No I'm not." He tried to grab her again, but she grabbed his wrist and squeezed it hard before he swung at her with his other hand, but she dodged it, lashing out her leg to kick him in the crotch.

She groaned and fell to his knees, but when he went down he grabbed her calf and pulled it out from under her, sending her falling to the ground beside him. He took her surprise to climb over her, holding her down by the throat. "What are you, you little tramp?" He growled, trying to choke the life out of her. Kayla socked in hard in the side and he changed his tactic, holding down her arms with his knees as she had with Tony. She'd been thwarted by her own move.

She could vaguely hear Zawadi barking in the distance, a smile crossing her face as he looked up. But the face on the man wasn't one seeing a massive dog running his way. It was something far more terrifying. Suddenly the man was lifted from the blonde and flung across the square against a brick wall. When he scrambled to his feet he stared at the brunette who now stood between him and the girl he'd try to abduct. The woman's eyes glowed red and smoke danced across her hands as she stared at him. Then she put her hands to her sides and flew over to him, the red smoke pushing her through the air.

When she landed she moved her hands, fingers dancing the magic toward the man as he tried to crawl away, but the woman entered his mind and changed his memories of that night. It would be nothing but a strange dream when he awoke the next morning.

Once the man had stumbled away, Wanda turned back to her friend, who laid on the ground, getting wet kisses from Zawadi. "I thought it was strange Zawadi was wondering the streets of Edinburgh alone. He ran right to me at the market. I checked his tags because I couldn't believe my own eyes." Wanda moved around the girl so she could see her face past the dog, "What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too Wanda." Kayla greeted as the Maximoff reached down her hand and helped her up. "I'm looking for all of you! I heard Steve broke you out of the Raft... I'm trying to find him." Kayla looked around, not understanding why Steve wasn't there to rip that asshole in half.

"They are already gone, Kayla. It's just me now." Wanda informed her bravely, gesturing to the streets around her.

Kayla stared at the girl, barely an adult, all on her own. But if anyone could survive, it was Wanda Maximoff. "I told Vision I'd look after you."

"That's very kind of you, but I can take care of myself," Wanda answered, nodding with her head for Kayla to follow.

"I need to meet back up with Natasha, she's waiting for me at a hotel near the train station." Kayla looked back over her shoulder toward where she came from.

"The train station is this way." Wanda pointed in the direction she'd been heading. "I live near there too. Let me at least show you where I am before you go. I'll see if Steve left a note of where he was going with Sam." Kayla grabbed onto Zawadi's leash and they followed Wanda to a tall apartment building, where she led them to an elevator and hit the thirteenth floor. She led her friend to a large brown door and unlocked it, letting the blonde and dog go in first.

"It's beautiful Wanda. Look how big it is!" Kayla looked around, then turned back to the girl, "How will you afford this?"

"Cap broke us out of a top-secret prison. The ATM didn't stand a chance."

Kayla let out a laugh, not believing for a minute that _her_ Steve had robbed an ATM, but Wanda's face didn't change. She tilted her head, motioning to the small round table with four chairs near the window. Kayla pulled out the chair and sat, looking out at the beautiful view. "Seriously though, this is amazing."

"I think I'll like it. It's quiet. I think I'll make a good life here. Maybe you can come to visit me sometimes." Wanda suggested, watching her friend carefully.

"Yeah, I'm sure we could do that! Once I find Steve, I'll just go where he goes, you know?" Kayla smiled at the thought, being with Steve again on the open road. Traveling the world. It sounded quite... fun.

"Kayla, Steve had a really hard time the past few weeks. He told us everything that happened with Bucky and Tony. About Siberia. He thought you were on the Raft, but when he found out you escaped and didn't contact him-"

"Tony told me he was dead." Kayla interrupted, all humor gone from her tone. "He lied to me. I was at Siberia. Tony told me to wait outside and when he emerged all bloodied and battered he told me Steve was gone. He didn't correct me when I assumed gone meant dead. I assumed the Winter Soldiers had..."

"They were already dead when they got there." Wanda deadpanned. "The soldiers were dead. Everything was a ploy to get Tony to find out Bucky killed his parents. Everything that happened... was for them to fight. To tear us all apart. And it worked."

Kayla opened her mouth but had no argument, had nothing to say. It had worked. Steve betrayed Tony. Tony betrayed Steve. Kayla betrayed Steve. Tony betrayed Kayla. It was a tangled web that Kayla had become a fly in, two spiders fighting around her. Everything they'd endured was for nothing.

The psychic stood and went to the fridge, opening it and grabbing two bottled waters. She handed one to Kayla as she sat back down, looking through a notepad before her as she spoke.

"They left me here, with enough money to take care of myself. Steve said he'd check back in a few weeks and leave a phone number. He doesn't have any way to communicate right now." Wanda explained, and she looked up from the notepad, "All he left was this." She ripped off the note and handed it to Kayla. It was a hotel address in Moscow and phone number. "He left that in case of emergency but said he wouldn't be there long. Only long enough. Apparently, Shield tech has been used near there and he and Sam are going to get it back. He's trying to clean up the messes he helped start. He's trying to be accountable. Be careful though Kayla... he's not the man you remember. He's a little broken." Wanda warned, trying to give her friend an idea of the Steve Rogers she was going to find. The Captain's eyes weren't bright anymore. He was losing hope. Arriving at the Raft and finding out that Kayla had broken out to find him, and never did, had changed something inside of him.

"I have to find him Wanda... I need to make things right." Kayla resolved, folding the paper and putting it into her pocket.

Wanda shook her head, happy to see her hot-headed friend again, "It's not all about you. He has other worries. I hope you find him though, it'll help to have you back." Wanda stood and opened her arms for a hug. "It's good to see you again." She whispered into her ear, her thick Sokovian accent cloaking her words.

"It's good to see you again too. I'm so happy Steve was able to save you... I- I wanted to..."

"I know you did. It's who you are. But I'll be okay. Here," Wanda wrote down a number quickly on her notepad and ripped another piece of paper. "This is my number for the apartment. Call anytime. Visit anytime. Please keep in touch."

"I will," Kayla promised, shoving her phone number into her pocket with the address. "Be safe, okay? Kind of a scummy neighborhood..."

Wanda laughed, "No, it's a nice neighborhood, I just know not to wander around yelling by myself. Do you need directions to the train station?"

"No..." Kayla groaned, clipping Zawadi's leash back on, "I'll be fine."

She waved goodbye to Wanda as the brunette closed the door, then looked down to her dog, "Good boy Zaddi. Now let's go find Daddy."


	64. Chapter 64

"Where have you been?" Natasha asked as she flung open the hotel door and let Kayla and Zawadi in, looking around the hallway cautiously to make sure they hadn't been followed. "I take it you didn't find Steve."

"I found Wanda though! And almost got abducted, so that was fun." Kayla mumbled as she pushed her hair behind her ear, unclipping Zawadi's leash from his harness so he could wander around the modern hotel room.

Natasha wasn't fazed by Kayla's confession, only the task at hand, "Did Wanda know where they went?"

"Moscow." Kayla pulled the piece of paper out of her pocket. She set the paper down on the hotel desk and reached into her backpack that she'd been carrying to grab her toothbrush. "This is their hotel. They won't be there long though, so we'll have to move fast."

"We'll probably get there before they do, they sent the quinjet with Clint... I'm guessing they'll take the train when they can. They are resourceful. They'll figure out a way to travel. We'll be waiting for them when they arrive." Natasha countered, closing the shades to their hotel room. "Get some sleep. We'll head out early in the morning."

"Night Nat," Kayla mumbled as she pulled down her jeans and crawled into bed in just her white tank top. Zawadi jumped into the bed and laid down, happy to have a comfy place to sleep for the night.

"Goodnight," Natasha said and pulled the cord to turn off the light.

* * *

As the sun rose over the lush July morning in Scotland, so did Natasha Romanoff and Kayla Ellis. Kayla brushed her teeth again beside the assassin, watching her carefully. The spy didn't talk much about her past, but Kayla knew she was from Russia and didn't know how she'd react to going back to her homeland. Especially since she wasn't exactly welcome there either. Natasha was a woman without a country, but she didn't seem fazed by it at the moment.

"You ever been to Moscow?" Natasha finally asked, breaking the tense silence between them.

Kayla opened her mouth, trying to remember, "No, I've been to St. Petersburg, never Moscow though."

"It's beautiful." Was Nat's quick reply as she left the bathroom, long wavy hair bouncing as she moved. She changed into black yoga pants and a red short sleeved button down blouse. Nat pulled on her black boots over her jeans, zipping them up. Their suits were in the quinjet, but they hoped they wouldn't need them yet. Kayla put back on her worn denim jeans and a light green sweater under a black leather jacket. She pulled the hood up and over her head, expecting the morning air to be chilly.

"I'll check out, you take the dog for a walk. We'll meet at the train station in an hour. I'll bring coffee." Natasha organized as she ushered Kayla out the door and closed it quietly behind her.

"Meet you there. Be careful." Kayla warned the taste of her encounter last night leaving a bad taste in her mouth for the locals of Edinborough, even though she was sure they were perfectly fine. She knew she was just worried about Wanda, and that Wanda could easily take care of herself.

She snuck her dog out through the back door of the hotel and found a little patch of grass for him to do his business. Lucky for Kayla, Zawadi ate basically anything, so some room service before they left did the trick. As her dog sniffed around, Kayla sighed in the cool morning air. They would fly to Moscow and wait at the hotel for Steve and Sam, hopefully not missing them. If they missed them again, it could take months to find them, and that was not a situation Kayla wanted to find herself in. Kayla couldn't help but wonder where Barnes was, as Wanda made it very clear the soldier wasn't around when Steve rescued them. But Steve wouldn't leave Bucky just anywhere... perhaps this meant they had an ally she was unaware of.

The streets were bustling with pedestrians making their way to the Waverly Station, which worked as a great cover for Kayla and Zawadi. Kayla pulled her green hood back just a little so she could hear better what was going on around her, prepared to be followed. The world would be on alert for the missing Avengers, and it would be a long time before that died down.

Once Kayla arrived at the station, she found a bench outside and sat, Zawadi pacing back and forth watching all the people go by. Kayla looked at her broken white watch under her sweater. 9:24. They had about a half hour to catch their train out of the city, then get on the quinjet to Moscow. They'd still beat the men by a day, but Kayla was anxious to get the trip underway. The sooner they found Steve, the better.

"Large caramel latte, extra sugar, extra cream," Natasha spoke from Kayla's side, startling her friend. Kayla turned quickly to see the redhead holding out the beverage, her long curly hair pulled into a long ponytail.

Kayla took the drink and cuddled it against her chest, "Thank you. The train leaves in thirty minutes, do you have the tickets?"

"Not yet, I'll get them now. Wait here." Natasha ordered, walking easily to purchase their tickets. Kayla didn't have any money, and Natasha was better at... talking to people. Times sure had changed. Kayla used to be able to talk to anyone, manipulate for her own whim. But not anymore. She was too distracted and invested to pretend. She was too anxious, and the serum flowing through her veins was causing those emotions to run away with her.

Zawadi rested his large head on her lap, his tail wagging back and forth as he watched Kayla. "Are you excited to go on another train ride?" Kayla cooed as she rubbed the dog's ears lovingly. He hopped up, putting his long legs on the side of the bench and balancing himself so he could lick her face. Kayla lifted her chin so he was licking her throat instead of her mouth, scratching his sides as he did.

"You ready?" Natasha asked tickets in hand. Kayla pushed Zawadi down gently and stood, swinging her black backpack over her shoulder.

"Yep. Time to go." She looked back at Edinburgh one last time, knowing that she'd return to see Wanda once she'd sorted everything out with Steve.

* * *

"You think maybe Kayla's back at the base, waiting for you to come back for her?" Sam asked Steve as they sat in their private train car heading East toward Russia. They'd been on and off the rails for hours and still had a long way to go.

Steve leaned back in the seat, allowing his neck to bend back and stare at the ceiling of the car. "Maybe, but I can't. I can't go back. She can't either, I can't imagine she's just hanging out in New York with the others. She is a wanted woman too."

"After we clean up in Moscow, maybe we should try to reach out to her family, see if they've heard from her. Her mom was at the Raft, they know she's alive." Sam suggested, trying to get a read on his friend. Steve had been focused on getting Wanda set up with her own place, and he was determined to eliminate anymore Hydra records of Bucky. But sitting for hours reminded him of his girl. A girl who went to find him, and failed, even though she knew exactly where he'd be.

"I just don't know why she didn't come to Siberia. It's Kayla, she'd find a way. What if she crashed into the ocean? What if she's-" Steve clenched his eyes closed, not wanting to think about it. She'd escaped from a top-secret prison in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. If she got off the Raft she might not have made it to shore. If she didn't get off the Raft... they wouldn't exactly come and tell the others she was gone.

"I'm sure she's trying to find a way back to you Cap. That's who she is. She's resilient and stubborn as hell. You two are similar that way." Sam reached across the open space and pat Steve on the leg, "Once we finish up here, we'll go looking for her. We'll find her Steve."

Captain America sighed and closed his eyes again, trying to let sleep take over him, even though he was on high alert. They had a lot of work to do before he could go looking for his girl.

* * *

"Natasha, it's-it's beautiful." Kayla gasped as the city of Moscow came into view.

"That's Saint Basil's Cathedral. Not everything here is that beautiful." Nat huffed as she looked for a place to land the jet. Kayla ignored her bitterness, understanding that the Russian beauty may hold some resentment for her former life. Or perhaps she held resentment for the life that took her away from Russia, now that Shield and the Avengers no longer had a place for her.

Natasha finally found a secluded area away from the city where she could park the quinjet and have no one bother it. She put it down easy and then opened the back hatch to let them out. Kayla pulled off her leather jacket, folding it over her arm as Zawadi ran off the jet to find a place to pee. It was early afternoon and the weather was nice. It was peaceful where they were, but Kayla could see war in Nat's eyes.

"How far is the hotel?" Kayla asked after a few moments of Natasha turning the stealth mode back on the jet.

"About an hours walk. We're pretty far out from the city. But the boys still won't be here until tomorrow. We need to lay low, stay at the hotel. Too many old faces lurk in Moscow." Natasha informed the blonde as she started walking away from the quinjet and Kayla, leaving her friend to collect her dog and follow.

The two women walked in silence until they reached the edge of the city, Natasha showing a hint of nervousness as they began to join the crowd. "Stay close. We'll be there soon."

"Nat... is everything okay?" Kaya prodded, easily keeping up with Natasha's pace through the crowd.

Natasha looked around her, not facing her friend, "Let's just say I sold out some powerful people I used to work with. After the fall of Shield, I came back here to find my parents. Instead, I found two little gravestones by a chain link fence and some old friends who tried to blackmail me into joining them. I turned them in instead, so I'm guessing they wouldn't be too happy to see me."

Kayla paled at Natasha's explanation, falling behind a step, "Perhaps we shouldn't have come here-"

"This is where Steve and Sam are coming. It's our one chance to find them before they disappear again. We'll be fine. Just... don't draw attention to us." Natasha slowed a bit, allowing Kayla to walk beside her. "Up ahead is the hotel they are staying at. I'll give you the cash, go get us a room. I'll wait nearby with the dog."

Kayla subtly took the cash Natasha was holding by her side, placing it into her pocket without a word. Kayla passed Zawadi's leash to Natasha, and the redhead quickly turned to the side, the dog following her easily even though Kayla continued ahead. Once she reached the hotel, she pulled out the paper Wanda had given her, double checking the address. She traced Steve's hurried handwriting with her eyes, wanting to hold the hand that had written it.

 _Get it together Ellis._

She shoved the paper back into her pants pocket and strode inside confidently to the front desk. She didn't speak Russian, which worried her, but she looked enough like a tourist with her backpack and long blonde hair that maybe she wouldn't be out of place. When she approached the petite redhead behind the counter she smiled sweetly. "Hello! I know this is last minute, but my train got delayed until tomorrow, do you have any availability for tonight?"

In broken English the woman responded, looking at her computer screen as she typed, "Not a lot. We have a room with a king bed, no view though."

"That's fine. I just need a place to sleep." Kayla answered hurriedly, gaining a long glance from the woman before her. Kayla reached into her pocket and pulled out a wad of bills, realizing she only had American money since they hadn't stopped by the train station to exchange currency as they did in Scotland. "It's been an adventure, to say the least, traveling across Europe and into Russia by myself. I didn't get a chance to exchange any more money since I didn't plan on staying here tonight."

"It's fine." The woman answered curtly, pulling out a calculator to work out the exchange rate, "We do get Americans sometimes. I'll take care of it." Kayla couldn't help but wonder if she was getting ripped off, but she didn't want to argue as the woman took what seemed to be too much of her money. She shoved what was left back into her pocket and signed the receipt Dawn Rogers, taking the room key with a smile.

"Thank you! I really appreciate your help!" She chirped as she turned, key in hand, toward the elevators. The little redhead watched her go before picking up the phone and dialing a number, speaking Russian in hushed tones to the person on the other end.

Natasha was hiding near the vending machines, pretending to study the snacks as Zawadi sat between the machine and the ice maker, blocking him from view. When Kayla walked by Nat tugged on the leash and the dog followed obediently, the three making their way to an elevator to take them to the fifth floor. Once inside the elevator, Kayla pushed the button to close the doors, making sure no one else could join them. They rode in silence until the elevator dinged and the doors opened to reveal a long hallway, Kayla taking the lead to find their room.

Once inside, Kayla closed the door and padlocked it, feeling at ease for the first time since they'd left the quinjet. "What now?"

"We wait. Do you have that tablet I asked you to bring?" Natasha asked as she sat on the edge of the king-sized bed they had to share. Kayla dug into her backpack and pulled out an iPad that she handed to Nat and the spy began typing feverishly in a language Kayla didn't understand.

"What are you-"

"I'm hacking into the hotel's security feed. That way we can watch for when Steve and Sam arrive. It'll be easier than us waiting out in the open." She interrupted as the screen made way for several smaller screens showing parts of the hotel. She clicked on the lobby and the camera was positioned behind the petite woman who had checked Kayla in. "Now we just have to wait until-" Natasha trailed off, staring at the feed.

"Until what?" Kayla prodded, trying to figure out what was so wrong about the image before them.

Natasha watched as the woman at the counter patted her hip, "Shit."

"What?"

"We can't leave the room, they are coming for you." Natasha said simply, setting the tablet to the side as she stood to check the door, pushing a chair from the small table against the doorknob.

Kayla squawked and Nat shushed her, "They are coming for me? Why me?"

"You're suspicious, American, jittery. Alone. They want to know what you are doing here. They were most likely involved in Hydra. My guess is its them Steve and Sam are trying to find and snuff out."

Kayla's mouth hung open loosely, watching as the three women and man who were at the counter were led away. Natasha moved the camera to follow them as the receptionist led them into a storage closet while the man stood outside, guarding them. A few moments later the three women emerged dressed as hotel staff, the receptionist slipping one girl a piece of paper.

"They are coming."

"We won't let them in?" Kayla asked as Natasha moved the cameras to watch the three women get into the elevator, pushing a cleaning cart.

"They have the same training I do."

"The Red Room?" Kayla inquired nervously, patting the floor to get Zawadi to lie down.

"Yes." Nat answered simply, watching the video feed. "Fifth floor. They are almost here."

"What are we going to do?" Kayla whimpered, pressing her back against the hotel door as Natasha watched the feed.

"I'm going to fight them. You're going to stay here. When Steve gets here, come to get me."

Kayla watched the feed over Natasha's shoulder, seeing the women walking down the hallway toward their room. "Ummm, how will we find you? And how do you know they'll take you? What if you win?"

A knock at the door.

The women met glanced at each other as Zawadi started barking loudly at the door. Natasha could see the women flinch on the other side of the door at the sound of the beast. As the Rhodesian pawed furiously at the door barking, Natasha pulled Kayla away, pushing her gently into the closet. "Trust me. Everything is going to be okay. Wait for Steve and Sam. You'll find me near the Cathedral you saw earlier. Stay here." Natasha closed the closet door, silencing Natasha as she heard a voice from the other side of the door.

"Room service!" An American voice called from behind the door. Natasha let Zawadi continue to bark for a moment before she responded in Russian. Kayla watched the screen as the three women pulled out their guns from their aprons.


	65. Chapter 65

Natasha took a deep breath before she quietly pulled the chair away from the door, placing it off to the side as she unpadlocked the door. Kayla held her breath as she heard Natasha cock her gun, but before the door opened, she slid open the closet to Kayla's surprise and yanked Zawadi inside before closing the closet and opening the door in one swift move. Kayla hastily grabbed onto Zawadi's mouth to keep him from making noise, whispering into his ear quietly as she heard the women enter the room.

Kayla couldn't see the fight, but she heard the sizzle of Nat's Widow Bites as two of the women met their temporary match against the taser disks Natasha always carried on her person. Kayla could hear the third woman grunting as she fought Black Widow in hand to hand combat. Her desire to jump out and help was killing her, but she used all her energy to keep Zawadi quiet as she heard them fight on the other side. Suddenly she heard them get closer again and somebody smashed into the mirror on the other side of the closet door. She heard the sound of light footsteps running away from the hotel room, and the sound of groaning as the other two women got to their feet.

Natasha was leading them away.

Then Zawadi barked loudly, wiggling his snout away from Kayla's stern hold. She froze, hearing the two women get closer to the closet. Kayla braced herself, shifting her weight to prepare for an attack.

As the door flung open, Kayla sprung at the women, knocking one of them over roughly against the opposite wall. Once her first opponent was unconscious she turned to the other woman and grabbed her forearm as she aimed the gun at Kayla's head. The woman swung out her leg and kicked Kayla in the side. Kayla winced but didn't fall, leaning back to throw the woman over her before grabbing her backpack and darting out of the hotel room, Zawadi running after her. She didn't dare take the elevator, so she flung open the door to the stairwell and began to run quickly down the five flights of stairs.

Once she got closer to the lobby, she heard screaming and gunshots, clearly signaling Natasha had made it to the main floor. Kayla pulled Zawadi behind the stairwell and tied his leash to the bar, keeping him from the danger. "Stay baby, stay." She cooed, giving him a kiss on the head before she left.

Kayla barged through the door and somersaulted into the fight, distracting the man trying to shoot Natasha enough for Nat to get a hit in. The man continued fighting Natasha and the first woman turned her attention to Kayla. Patrons of the hotel were fleeing after hearing the gunshots from the lobby, causing even more distraction between the fighters.

"I thought I told you to stay in the room!" Natasha hissed at Kayla as she leaped onto the man's shoulders, twisting her legs to bring him to the ground. Once he was down she dashed away.

Kayla stared at her incredulously as she caught the woman's fist, "I'm sorry that they checked the closet!" Then the woman punched Kayla in the jaw, knocking her back a little. Kayla pushed back against the Russian spy, using her super strength to hold the woman back, but she was no match for the assassin's technique. Kayla started getting the upper hand by punching against the woman's stomach, but the receptionist lunged over the desk and tackled Kayla, pinning her to the ground alongside the woman who she'd previously been fighting.

At the new player's entrance, Natasha's attention strayed, and she missed the gun pointed at her until she felt the bullet rip through her right side.

"Natasha!" Kayla screamed, seeing the woman stumble and fall, holding her side as she winced. Suddenly the man turned his attention away from Natasha and started walking toward Kayla, cocking the gun again. This time though, he couldn't miss, because she was being pinned down by the two women. The man spoke to her in Russian, and Kayla didn't understand, but she turned her face to the side to see the panic in Natasha's face at his words as she writhed on the ground, bleeding through her red shirt.

Kayla turned to the man, and he repeated his words, but in heavy accented English, "You are Kayla Ellis. Your work with the super soldier serum is unprecedented. You seem to have tested it on yourself. We can't risk you using it to make more super soldiers-"

As the man aimed the gun at Kayla's skull, he was knocked off his feet by a freight train of a man and quickly beaten to a pulp. Before Kayla could even turn her head the two women were kicked off of her by legs from the ceiling, knocking them hard against the chairs nearby in front of a fireplace.

Kayla rolled over and scrambled to her feet quickly, darting over to Natasha before she could even turn to face their saviors. "Nat, Nat we need to get you to the hospital!" Kayla held her friend's side firmly, her strong grip clotting the blood faster.

"Not here, it's too dangerous, we need to take her somewhere safe," Sam said as she held up his guns toward the two women who sat on the ground with their hands up in surrender.

That's when it finally registered in Kayla's brain.

Steve was alive.

Steve.

 _Steve._

"Steve!" She gasped, turning to see her fiance pummel the man in the corner to death, never relenting in his efforts.

"Cap! Widow's down, we've got to go!" Sam called, catching Steve's attention.

The former Captain of the Avengers finally pulled back his bloody fists and stood, turning to face his girl for the first time in weeks. His face was hard, anger etched across his features. His blonde hair was longer and messy, and his stubble hadn't been shaved, giving his face a raggedy look. His blue eyes were cold and his jaw set. His Captain America uniform was dirty and broken in places. Wanda had been right, he wasn't the man she remembered.

"Steve." She whimpered again as he lumbered over to the two women, kneeling to look at Natasha's side. He was focused on his comrade, but after checking her side he tilted his face ever so slightly, eyes meeting Kayla's for the first time. The smallest smile grew at the edges of his lips, tugging at his face to soften it, but he had to focus on Natasha at that moment.

"We should have kept the quinjet," Steve mumbled, scooping his arms under Nat's back and knees to lift her up.

"I could fly her somewhere-" Sam started, looking to Steve.

"We have the quinjet. It's out of town a ways. Take Natasha and get a head start, we'll catch up." Kayla urged as Steve passed Nat to Sam and the pilot took off flying, Natasha vaguely giving him directions to the jet.

Alone, Steve finally turned to Kayla, taking her in. He had so much he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her he loved her and he missed her and he was sorry for leaving her on the Raft for so long and that he'd thought about ways to make it up to her and how they could get married now but he just had to start with something, "Kay..."

"I slept with Tony."

Steve's mouth snapped shut, whatever words of endearment he was planning swallowed by her confession. His face paled as he tried to understand, trying to find some reason for his girl's infidelity. Maybe he was just too slow... "What?" He finally blurted, needing more information than that.

"I slept with Tony. Three times. When we got back from Siberia. I was there... outside the compound. Tony told me to wait while he went and helped you. He came out battered, and he said that you were gone. I thought- I thought you were dead. He didn't correct me, and I was devastated... I shouldn't have... but he was there. And you were gone." Kayla stammered, having gone over this conversation a thousand times in her head, even before she'd known he had lived. She always considered what she _would_ say if she _could_ explain her actions. This was not how she imagined it.

"You slept with Tony Stark because he told you I was dead..." Steve wasn't asking her, he was repeating her words, sorting through her explanation in his sharp mind that was getting foggy as his whole world fell apart. "I came to get you. From the Raft, but you were already gone... where did you go?"

"To Siberia." Kayla clarified, watching Steve as he walked with her to the stairwell to get Zawadi.

"But you stayed outside?" He asked, barely acknowledging the dog who jumped onto him lovingly.

Kayla nodded, "Tony asked me to. He didn't want me to get hurt. He seemed genuinely worried about you..."

"He found out Bucky killed his parents. He turned on you?" Kayla asked quietly as she untied the leash, not looking at Steve.

"He slept with you to spite me?" Steve asked, seeing that Kayla was somewhat up to speed on what had transpired.

She shrugged, lips in a tight line, "I don't know. Maybe. I just needed to get my mind off of you. I just needed... honestly I don't even know. He was just there. And you weren't. And I can't apologize enough Steve, I _never_ would have cheated on you if I knew you were still alive! You know I wouldn't. I fucked up Steve. I went back to my old ways because I didn't know how to react to losing you."

Steve considered her words, his trust was broken, as was his heart. He didn't know how to forgive her for what she had done, but he knew that Tony manipulated her, and she wasn't completely to blame. And she'd been honest. But how could he marry a girl who'd slept with one of his best friends?

"Let's get Nat somewhere safe. I know a place where we can take her to heal. We'll talk about this more later." Steve told Kayla sternly, picking up his pace in the direction she'd said the quinjet was waiting.

* * *

"You know where we are going Cap? Last I heard Wakanda didn't exactly have the best resources..." Sam asked as he piloted the quinjet toward the African nation. Steve simply stared ahead, standing by the coordinates he'd given Sam. Kayla sat behind them, holding a cloth to Natasha's side. She avoided eye contact with Steve, not wanting to upset him any more than she already had.

Natasha winced as Kayla gave her a drink of water, trying to stay awake. "You know, he'll come around. He loves you. Nothing will ever change that. Especially something you didn't realize you were doing wrong."

"Anyone else but Stark. If it had been anyone else, he could forgive me. I ran right into his enemy's arms." Kayla admitted sadly, setting Natasha's water down as she laid back onto the table flat. She stared at the ceiling but gave her friend a weak shrug.

"Give him time. Once we get to Wakanda, you can talk some more." Natasha sighed, closing her eyes to rest.

Kayla scoffed, looking over her shoulder to see Steve glance her way quickly before reverting her eyes, "I'm sure. Wakanda is nothing but wide open spaces. Not sure how they are going to help you Nat. I pray Steve knows something we don't, otherwise you are screwed." Natasha smiled weakly as Kayla released the tight hold on her side, walking toward the front of the quinjet. "How much farther."

"We're almost there," Steve muttered as the mountainous terrain of Wakanda came into view. "Put us down over there Sam, near the border tribe."

"I've been here before." Kayla murmured, and Steve turned to see her face light up, "That's where I built the school, it's still standing." Cap watched her happily, seeing the light in his girl's eyes for the first time in weeks reminded him why he loved her. Because she wasn't perfect, but she tried. She tried so hard to be good but sometimes good people did bad things and she'd fallen into temptation in her anguish.

Sam put the jet down gently, opening the back so Steve could scoop up Natasha quickly and leave the quinjet behind. The people of the Border Tribe quickly came to greet the ship, aiming their spears at him defensively. A large man stood at the lead of the group, addressing the Captain. "What is your business here?"

"I am a friend of King T'Challa. I need his help. Again." Steve said simply, holding Natasha in his arms as she rested her head on his chest.

The man walked away for a moment, and Steve waited patiently as Kayla walked around with Sam. "This is where I stayed." She pointed to a hut, catching the man's attention.

"Miss Ellis?" He asked quietly, and she smiled grandly at him. "I remember you... you helped build the school."

"It's been quite some time... a lots happened since then." Kayla gestured to the rest of the team.

From over the hill, T'Challa appeared with several women dressed in red on either side, spears in hand. Kayla gasped when she saw him, but he seemed equally surprise to see her, but not Steve. "Captain."

"Your Highness." Steve responded, taking a step toward the King, "I'm sorry to arrive unnanounced. My friend is hurt, and we have nowhere to go."

"I remember Miss Romanoff. We will help her, give you a place to stay and time to recouperate. Perhaps you'll stay longer now that your friends are out of prison." T'Challa gestured to Sam and Kayla, and the two looked at each other. When had Steve come to spend time in Wakanda?

Steve smiled, following the King, "I think we just might if you'll allow it."


	66. Chapter 66

As T'Challa led the group over the hill, they boarded onto a floating machine that looked like a boat. Kayla and Sam stopped in their tracks, staring at the vehicle. Steve carried Nat onto the flying car without hesitation, and even Zawadi seemed unfazed by the technology.

"Come Kayla, let me show you the real Wakanda," T'Challa said with a grin. He gestured for the two to enter the vehicle, and it took off quickly, being flown by one of the women who was guarding him.

"So, uhhh, what's with the elite death squad?" Kayla asked quietly. Last time she was in Wakanda, T'Challa and Shuri had come to her alone. Now that he was King, things would be very different.

"The Dora Milaje are my bodyguards and special forces unit here in Wakanda. They have sworn to protect the Black Panther and the throne. This is General Okoye." He gestured to the woman driving the vehicle, solid gold adorning her armor instead of silver like the other guard. She snorted a greeting, not turning her head from her task.

"How do you have technology like this?" Kayla gasped, taking in the floating car until they broke through a barrier and a glistening city laid before them. Sam and Kayla moved to the front of the vehicle, taking in the sight. Even Natasha blinked her eyes into the sun to see what was ahead, momentarily thinking perhaps she'd died and before her was Heaven.

A sprawling city sat near a river, skyscrapers hundreds of stories tall in classic, yet modern designs. "This... this is Wakanda?" Kayla gasped, turning to T'Challa. Her awe turned to fury as she pointed her finger in his face, "You made me sleep in a hut for seven months? I didn't have indoor plumbing!"

He laughed outwardly at the girl, Okoye holding back her laughter behind a smirk as she drove them toward the palace. "Take us to Shuri's lab. She'll need to look at Miss Romanoff." He turned to Steve, "Between Sergent Barnes and Everett Ross, Shuri's been quite busy cleaning up after you Americans."

"I'm...Russian." Natasha wheezed with a smile, her side hurting badly.

"That will make no difference to the Princess." Okoye finally spoke, a knowing smile on her face as she landed on the side of a mountain.

T'Challa led Steve, Sam, and Kayla into the depths of the lab, calling out for his sister.

"Captain Rogers brought another project for you, Sister." T'Challa called as the young genius appeared around the corner.

"Really brother? I'm still working on fixing the last-Kayla!" Shuri shouted as she saw the blonde, and Kayla sprinted toward her, jumping up and down as they squealed. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here with Natasha... I'm eng- I'm with the Avengers. Kind of." Kayla explained, holding the girl's hands. "A lots happened since I was last here..."

"So I've heard." Shuri looked to Steve, "T'Challa told me you were there when our father died."

"I'm so sorry Shuri." Kayla pulled the girl into a hug, and Shuri looked at her with surprise at her strength, and turned to the others questioningly.

She stared at Kayla, studying her, "You're very-"

"Strong. Yeah, super soldier serum. Remember my work? When I was living in a hut for seven months. Yeah, I didn't realize why you were so interested," Kayla gestured around the lab, "Now, I get it."

"Sorry, we had to keep you in the dark. Times are changing though now. We are letting the world in. Or at least we are reaching out. One day at a time." Shuri explained, meeting Kayla's gaze. "Now, what's this project you've brought, Ellis?"

"My friend Natasha's been shot... can you help her?" Kayla asked as Shuri gestured for Steve to lay Natasha on an examination table.

Shuri studied the redhead quickly, then pulled up several holographic screens ahead of her by rolling around balls on her bracelet. "This is easy. She'll be good as new by tomorrow. Let me get to work, come back in two hours."

"We'll show you to your rooms back at the palace, Shuri will inform us when we can come to collect Miss Romanoff," T'Challa explained, gesturing back toward the door.

"Take care of her," Kayla said to Shuri, and the girl scoffed.

"This is child's play, Kayla. I can't wait to work with you. I'd love to know more about your serum." Shuri shooed the group out, promising to talk later with her old friend. "By the way, how's Zawadi?"

"He's here actually. On the boat... car... flying thingy..." Kayla tried to explain the technology, suddenly feeling very dumb amongst the advanced technology of Wakanda.

"Well, I can't wait to see how he's grown. I'm sure he'll love running. Lots of room here. See you at dinner!" The door slid closed, separating Kayla from the scientist. Kayla stood at the closed vibranium door, thinking about what had just transpired, and where she was about to go. She turned to the others, studying their expression. Sam's was similar to hers, pure wonder and confusion. Steve seemed relieved to be somewhere familiar, talking quietly to King T'Challa. The Dora Milaje watched her cautiously, the Okoye woman unimpressed.

"I'm going to take Captain Rogers to the cryo-chamber. Please escort his friends back to the palace. We'll be there soon." T'Challa ordered, and Kayla raised her hand quickly as she drew her eyebrows. "Yes, Kayla?"

"Cryochamber?"

"We'll talk about this later, Kayla," Steve said sternly, face hard as he spoke to the woman. She was taken back by his coldness.

"I'd like to come too-"

Steve put his hand up to stop her from coming closer, T'Challa watching the two of them suspiciously. "No Kayla. Not this time. This has nothing to do with you." Steve barked.

Kayla crossed her arms and inhaled deeply, eyes zeroing in on her fiance. "Fine. Goodbye Rogers." She turned and followed the General back to the ship, Sam shoving his hands into his pockets and following slowly as Steve watched.

Once Kayla was out of the room, Steve hung his head sadly, placing his palm to his eyes in frustration. T'Challa watched him, chin high, trying not to stare as tears threatened to spill over the soldier's blue eyes. Finally, Steve raised his head, sniffling back and looked to the King. "I'm sorry Your Highness. We are going through a rough time."

"I can see that Captain. Women...can be complicated. But one problem at a time. Let's go check on your friend. Shuri's been working hard on helping him. It's not time to bring him out of cryo yet, but soon. Perhaps in a few weeks." T'Challa threw out his arm to lead the Captain toward the cryo-chamber to see Barnes.

* * *

"This is where you'll be staying while you are here. Let us know if you need anything. Mr. Wilson will be across the hall. Once Miss Romanoff is feeling better she'll be to the side of you. Dinner is served at six, someone will be by to collect you a little before then." Okoye explained passively, the only emotion creeping into her voice was annoyance. Zawadi panted up at her, and she gave the closest thing to a smile Kayla had seen. Then her face fell and she left the girl alone in the doorway.

Kayla nodded as she entered the beautiful room with high ceilings and a view of the city out a large balcony. She looked around the room, taking in the details. The bed was king-sized with a fluffy purple comforter. The long drapes around the picture windows were black silk with golden rings holding them back. The bathroom had a large bathtub and separate shower. There was a desk near the wall and a couch facing the desk, which Kayla found odd. She wandered over to the empty desk and noticed a thin line at the top, rubbing her fingers across it thoughtlessly, but the action brought a large screen to life in the side of the wall, doubling as a computer and television. She wandered away from the desk and sitting area back to the bed.

She hopped onto the bed, Zawadi jumping to join her. With just her dog for company, Kayla rolled over and began to cry into the soft pillows.

"Zaddi... he hates me. He can't even look at me and he's shutting me out! What am I going to do?" She cried as the large dog tried to lick away the salty tears. The girl cried like that for an hour, until she eventually cried herself to sleep, her dog curled up under her arm protecting her.

So she was sleeping when, at five o'clock, Steve Rogers peaked his head in quietly to check on her. He had knocked gently, but not even the dog had stirred, so he slowly opened the door to see if she was okay. When his blue eyes landed on her sleeping figure, his heart sunk. Her face was tear streaked, and he could hear her nose was stuffed. Clearly, she had been crying, and he knew it was his fault.

Steve sat on the edge of the bed, causing Zawadi to startle awake. The dog looked up at Steve, then laid his head back down over Kayla protectively. Steve pet the dog's head, then moved to Kayla's hair, smoothing down the tangles. It had been a long couple of days for the girl, he could see that much. Nat and Kayla must have been looking for him, they must have been in Scotland, they must have found Wanda. Wanda was the only person who knew Steve was heading to Moscow. They'd traveled across the whole world looking for him, and he'd repaid his girl by being cold.

Steve was angry. He was hurt. But he was still Steve Rogers, and he still loved Kayla Ellis. So he swore when he saw her next, he'd work on making things right. It may take some time, but he would spend the rest of his life with that girl, no matter what had happened.

* * *

A heavy knock came to Kayla's door at a quarter to six. The Wakandan Palace had been quiet for some time, but the loud knock brought Kayla back to life from her nap and she jolted up off of the bed. Once she realized what was happening, she rubbed her eyes sleepily before answering, "Coming!" She rolled off the side of the bed and swung open the door to see a Dora Milaje standing on the other side, spear in hand.

"I've come to collect you for dinner." She said blandly, making eye contact with the shorter blonde.

Kayla nodded in understanding, "Let me change quick, then I'll be ready." Kayla left the door open, inviting Zawadi to sniff the woman as she watched Kayla flutter around the room, looking for her duffle bag. Once she found what she was looking for, she grabbed a short black dress and heels, scurrying to the bathroom to change. A few minutes later, the guard lead Kayla toward the dining hall of the palace.

Her black stilettos clicked along the metal floor of the palace, her short dress tight across her muscular thighs as she walked. The neckline of the black dress was high with no sleeves, showing off her strong arms. Her hair was pulled up into a high tight ponytail that cascaded down her back. She wore little makeup, only dark mascara to make her green eyes pop.

The guard led the woman into a large banquet hall, but there were only five people sitting toward the end of a large table. T'Challa sat at the head of the table with Shuri on his right and Natasha next to her. Sam was listening intently as Shuri spoke about her work. Steve sat next to Sam, chin resting in the palm of his hand as he listened. When Kayla got close, the guard led her to Steve's side of the table, and Kayla balked a little, hoping to sit next to Natasha or Sam or Shuri, or even T'Challa. Anyone except for Steve, because she was suddenly very self-conscious about dressing up.

Sam gave out a long whistle when he saw Kayla, and Natasha and Shuri turned to follow his gaze. T'Challa smiled at the Captain, and Steve's spine went rigid because he would recognize the click of those black heels anywhere.

Kayla pulled out the chair next to Steve, taking a seat and clearing her throat, "Sorry I'm late everyone. What did I miss?" She asked awkwardly as the servers brought out a salad for each of them. "Nat, how are you feeling?"

"Good as new." The assassin said quietly, looking up at Kayla from under her eyelashes was doing nothing to hide her smirk. She shot a look from Kayla to Steve, seeing the soldier was just as uncomfortable as his fiance.

"Good to hear." Kayla responded with a nod, grabbing her fork to start shoving the greens into her mouth. "This, this is delicious. I'm excited to try the main course, is that _wine_?" Kayla asked as she grabbed for the bottle being set in front of Shuri.

"Are you... okay?" The younger girl asked, looking the blonde up and down, trying to figure out what happened to the confident woman she'd known two years ago.

"Fine!" Kayla yelped, swallowing down the salad with a gulp of the red wine she'd poured herself. "I'm fine. Everything's _fine._ "

"Miss Romanoff, Shuri tells me that you are doing much better and healing well, however, I hope you and your team will stay a while and recuperate. There's no rush to leave if you all have nowhere to go." T'Challa swung the subject around, inviting his guests to stay.

Natasha shook her head lightly, "We don't want to be in your hair for any longer than we already have. We caused enough problems for you and your family."

"My father was the victim of someone else's war. A sick man wanted revenge and sent me on a path for my own revenge. Now all I can do is try to make up for my mistakes and try to heal the people I hurt. Helmut Zemo did enough damage. To all of us." T'Challa's words were directed toward Kayla and Steve, and the woman lifted her chin defiantly, trying to stand above what the Avengers' battle had done to her relationship. "Please, friends, take some time to rest and make a plan for the future. There is no rush to leave Wakanda."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Steve rose his head to make eye contact with the King, "We appreciate your hospitality and kindness."

"Now let's eat! I'm starving!" Shuri hollered lightheartedly as the servers set down a feast before them, the former Avengers digging in hungrily. Steve stole a brief glimpse at Kayla as she ate, and as soon as his gaze hit his food, Kayla turned her head to look at him in return, trying to hide the smile and blush that crept into her cheeks.


	67. Chapter 67

After dinner, T'Challa himself lead them back to their rooms to make sure Natasha got settled okay. He opened the door to the room beside Kayla, and she bowed her head in thanks before she bid her teammates goodnight, closing the door behind her as she went to get settled. Sam shook T'Challa's hand before heading into his room across the hall from Kayla, leaving just Steve, Kayla, and T'Challa.

"Well, I suppose I better get some rest. Thank you, T'Challa, for everything. It means so much. I'm sorry our last encounter wasn't as pleasant. I hope you'll forgive me." Kayla said as she lowered her head a little, not able to meet the King's eyes.

"I shouldn't have stood in the Captain's way. You are very loyal Kayla. You were fighting for what you believed was right, and you were. I am sorry I was too blinded to see that." T'Challa said, placing a large hand on her shoulder. "Sleep well, my friends. When you awake I'll have breakfast made. Sleep as much as you'd like... Goodnight." T'Challa nodded to Steve, turning to leave the two alone.

Kayla moved to go back into her bedroom, but Steve caught her hand, holding her in place. She froze, and Steve could have sworn he felt her shiver under his touch.

"We should talk. Please." Steve asked gently, rubbing his thumb against her hand comfortingly, even though it didn't seem to ease the woman he held.

"Oh-okay," Kayla grumbled. She opened her door and he followed, immediately being tackled by Zawadi.

"Hey, buddy!" Steve crooned as he knelt, letting the dog jump up and lick his face adoringly. Kayla pulled out her ponytail, letting her long hair fall around her shoulders as she shook it out. She sat on the couch and pulled off her stilettos, discarding them near the glass door leading to the balcony. When she looked up, she saw Steve still crouched near Zawadi, but his eyes were trained on her.

She sighed, standing, ready to get this conversation over with. She walked over to Steve and held out her hand to help him up. He took it, letting his girl pull him to his feet. Once standing, he looked down at her, studying her, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"I-uh, I want to give you this." Kayla slowly pulled her engagement ring off her finger, holding it out to Steve. He stared at it, jaw open slightly. He couldn't believe she was giving up on them.

"No. No I bought that for you. Even if we break up, I want you to keep it-" Steve argued, closing her hand around the ring.

Kayla interrupted him, opening her hand to thrust the ring back at him, "I don't want to break up Steve. I want to marry you. I just think we should rebuild this relationship. I want you to take the ring now, and when you feel like you can trust me again, give it back to me, and we'll get married. You don't trust me right now, and I deserve that. But I'm hurting too Steve. I didn't want any of this to turn out this way."

Steve considered her words, looking at the ring. He slowly reached out and let her drop the ring into his large palm, closing his fingers over it carefully. He finally met her eyes to see tears flowing freely from them. He quickly pulled her into his arm, laying his cheek against the top of her head as she cried, finally wrapping her arms around him. "Shhh, it's okay. This isn't the end. It's just a roadblock."

"I know... but... I did this Steve. I shouldn't have slept with Tony. I shouldn't have reverted back to my old ways. I feel awful." Kayla cried into her boyfriend's chest.

Steve moved his face to sit his jaw on Kayla's head, still stroking her hair. After a moment he spoke quietly, "Would you have slept with Tony if we had already had sex?"

Kayla quickly pulled away, pushing Steve's chest roughly to put more space between them. "How dare you? Insinuating that I slept with Tony because I was bored?"

"No, no, no- that's not what I meant at all... I just- uhhh," Steve stuttered, reaching out to Kayla, but she swatted him away quickly. "Kay, I just need to know-"

"What? You need to know what Steve? If I liked it? If I finally felt _satisfied_ after two years of waiting patiently for you? I thought you were dead and I wasn't thinking clearly, and I found the first person I saw, and yes, I had sex with him. Not once. Not twice, but three times, because you were _dead_ and nothing mattered anymore. What was the point in me holding out for something real when I would never get it? So yes, Steven Rogers, I enjoyed having sex with Tony Stark. Most women who have slept with him did. But it didn't mean anything, because it never has. And I'm not sure sex will ever mean anything." She snarled, eyes blazing as she leaned toward Steve, hands defensively on her hips.

Steve stammered, registering what she had told him, "What-what are you saying, Kayla?"

"Remember when you kissed Sharon? And you said you'd messed up? This is my mess up Steve. It's a bigger deal than a little kiss, I get that, but I didn't have all the information. So here we are. What's done is done. We can move forward or not move on at all. I'll go home and you'll never have to see me again-"

"You know I don't want that... I'll never stop loving you, Kay." Steve grabbed her hand, and she tried to pull it away, finding herself in a battle of super soldiers.

Finally, she stopped struggling, her green eyes meeting his blue, silent promises exchanged between them.

They were going to try. Kayla was angry because she felt terrible. Steve was sad because he had left her behind. Despite everything that had happened, they didn't want a life without each other. They'd start at the bottom and work their way back to where they had been.

"I love you, Kayla." Steve finally whispered, not letting go of her hand as she stared into her eyes.

"I love you too Steve." Kayla responded, taking a step closer, and reaching up, pushing her lips closer to the soldiers, "I'd very much like to kiss you now."

Steve smashed his lips against Kayla's tilting her jaw up to get a better angle. She tangled her fingers in his hair, allowing him to lift her up, holding her just under her butt so she was a little higher than him. He backed her up and let her fall onto the comfy bed, following her by crawling over her so he straddled her, diving in to kiss her again.

Steve kissed her neck, sucking at her skin gently as she giggled, holding onto the nape of his neck. He moved his lips to her hear, his warm breath tickling her, "I want... I want to-"

"Not now Steve." Kayla breathed back, "I don't want to sleep with you so you can have what Tony got. It'll be worth the wait. For both of us." She promised, kissed his lips as he pouted slightly, trying to hide his disappointment at her rejection.

Suddenly, a small smile appeared on his lips, "What are you doing tomorrow?"

Kayla drew her face back, confusion was written across it, "I don't exactly have plans..."

"I'd like to take you on a date."

"A date?" Kayla asked the soldier, her cheeks begging to pink at his proposition.

"Yes, a real date. I'd like to... get to know you again. Start fresh. I'll pick you up at ten. Wear something comfortable, we'll be outside." Steve informed her, pushing himself off of her to sit on his knees. Kayla pouted at the distance, suddenly regretting insisting they wait to sleep together.

"I'd like that." She finally answered, and that's all Steve needed to leave her for the night, knowing tomorrow they'd spend together.

"Good. I'll see you in the morning. Sleep well, Miss Ellis." Steve winked as he crawled off the bed, coming close enough to kiss the blonde, then pull away, letting himself out.

She beamed from the comfort of her bed, Zawadi jumping up to take Steve's place beside her. "Goodnight Captain."

* * *

T'Challa had told them to sleep as long as they wanted, and Kayla took the King up on his offer. She woke up long after the sun had risen, slowly opening her eyes at a quarter past nine. When she sat up in bed, stretching her shoulders, she looked around, noticing Zawadi was gone. He couldn't get out on the balcony, the door was still locked closed, somebody had come and taken the dog out, which Kayla appreciated.

Kayla groaned as she flung her legs over the side of the large bed, looking out the picture windows at the sprawling field before her. Her soul needed fresh air, she wanted to explore the beautiful nation of Wakanda. But she couldn't ignore the ache in her thighs and calves as she pressed her feet against the floor.

"Steve!" Kayla gasped, remembering that she had a date. She sprung from the bed toward her duffle back, pulling out clothes that she thought she could wear. It was summer in Africa, and it was going to be hot, but Kayla didn't know where they were going or what could be lurking in the tall grass, so she wore a pair of light wash skinny jeans with brown hiking boots, then buttoned up a light pink blouse with capped sleeves. She brushed her hair quickly and scrunched it into a messy bun on top of her head. She quickly brushed her teeth and put on makeup, painting her lips with the red lipstick Steve loved so much.

Steve was prompt as always, knocking gently on her door at exactly ten o'clock. When Kayla swung the door open he was standing there with Zawadi's leash in his hand and a fistful of wildflowers in the other.

"Steve... you shouldn't have." Kayla cooed as she took the flowers from his hand, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Of course I did, I'm taking a beautiful woman on a date." Steve bantered, unleashing Zawadi in the room, "Are you ready to go? I'm taking you out for brunch."

"Brunch? In Wakanda? I mean I guess, they seem to have everything, they've got to have places to eat-" Kayla shrugged, closing the door behind her as Steve reached down and grabbed her hand.

He shook his head gently, a coy smile on his face, "No, not like that. I packed food. You'll see."

Kayla watched him curiously as he led her through the halls of the palace toward the massive doors leading to the outside. As they walked down the steps of the palace, Kayla's eyes fell on two men holding onto horses at the bottom. "Are we going riding?"

"Yes. Do you know how?" He asked, a twinkle in his eye.

Kayla scoffed, "Yes I do! Ask Natasha, I've been riding ever since I got home. I used to ride as a child."

"Good." Steve responded, taking the reins from the guard and handing them to Kayla, "You can teach me. I've never ridden a horse before."

He turned to take the reins of the larger brown horse, and when he turned back to Kayla he found her easily mounting the steed, sitting proudly in the saddle waiting for him. "You need help soldier?" She laughed as he watched her, studying her movements.

"Maybe. I'll let you know." Steve admitted as he put his left foot in the stirrup, using his momentum to launch his heavy body over the thick horse, settling in quickly as the horse shifted under his weight. "I won't break him will I?"

Kayla tossed her head back as she laughed, "No honey, you won't break him. He's fine. Follow me." Kayla pulled the reins to the right and the smaller horse turned her head at the blonde's direction, Steve's horse following without any direction as Kayla urged the black horse into a trot, then into a gallop as Steve chased her through the grass into the grasslands of Wakanda.

Once the city was small in the distance, Kayla slowed her horse to a stop and Steve copied her motion, pulling back on the reins gently. When Kayla turned to look at him, she saw his fists were white from clenching the reins tight, his shoulders tense. She laughed, turning her horse around to get closer to him. "How are you doing Steve?" She called, rubbing her horse's neck fondly.

"I'm...fine...great actually." Steve lied as his horse snorted, causing the soldier to jump a little.

"We can tie them to that tree over there, then take a break?" Kayla suggested, dismounting as easily as she got into the saddle.

Steve nodded, allowing Kayla to hold his horse's bridle as he swung his leg over, pulling the saddle down with him as he fell. The horse whinnied at the sensation and Kayla yanked Steve's boot out of the stirrup and moved the saddle to sit upright on the horse again before leading both of them away to graze. Steve watched her go, not bothering to get up from the ground. He leaned back, sitting on his elbows as Kayla approached, hands on her hips as she stared off into the distance thoughtfully. "You, uh, said something about food?"

Steve groaned, throwing his head back in frustration, "It's in the bags... with the horses." He leaned back and pushed himself up from his hands to jump to his feet, Kayla shaking her head at him. "What?"

"Even here, you can't stop being Captain America."

Steve frowned, "Is that a bad thing?"

"No. It's who you are. It's a part of you." Kayla argued happily.

Steve smiled as he turned to get the food, Kayla laid down on the grass, stretching out her arms against the dewy green, feeling a twinge of pain in her arms. Steve returned with a satchel over his shoulder and a bottle of red wine in his left hand and two glasses in his right.

"Honey!" Kayla cried out happily when he sat next to her, handing her the bottle to hold while he dug out a corkscrew from the satchel. "This is wonderful. You didn't need to do all this." She caught the corkscrew he tossed her, opening the wine as he unpacked the breakfast picnic. "A little early for wine Darling?"

Steve chuckled, pulling out some delicious looking rolls, followed by freshly sliced meat coming from boar and guinea fowl. "I know it's never too early for you."

Kayla pulled the cork effortlessly and took a swig from the bottle, Steve shaking his head at her as he tried to hide his smirk. "My turn." He held out his hand and she passed him the bottle, grabbing it by the neck to take a long drink of the Cabernet.

"I love this." She sighed, leaning back onto her elbows as she took a bite of the sandwich she made. "It's like when we first met. Just you and me lounging around talking. I've missed this."

"Yeah..." Steve trailed off, gazing off into the wide open space around them. "We're pretty busy now, aren't we? Before my job was very nine to five, but it seems like its twenty-four seven now."

"It doesn't have to be. Not now. What happened with Tony and the others was terrible, but we're free now. We don't have to fight anymore." Kayla prodded, nudged Steve with her side as she swayed. "We can take some time off to really figure out what we want."

"I want you," Steve answered quickly, turning to look at the blonde.

"I know." Kayla responded just as quickly, meeting his gaze, "But you also want to be Captain America and fight for the little guy. It won't be easy to have both. I don't want to fight anymore Steve."

He turned, staring ahead, his thoughts clearly swirling around in his head. Finally, without turning to Kayla, he spoke, "I'm not sure if I can be Captain America anymore."

"I won't love you any less. No matter who you choose to be, I'll always be waiting for you at the end." Kayla assured the soldier, grabbing his hand.

Steve smiled at her, taking in the way her eyes lit up when she smiled and how her skin looked almost luminescent in the early afternoon sun of Wakanda. He wanted to hold her, squeeze her, _love_ her. He wanted to crawl on top of her and make love to her right then and there in the green grass, but he _couldn't._ They had to find their way back to where they used to be...

"I'm glad we decided to do this," Kayla admitted, bringing Steve out of his fantasies. "I'm glad we decided to take a step back from Avenging and remember why we started dating in the first place."

Steve smiled at her, wanting this moment to last forever. "Yeah, me too."


	68. Chapter 68

"How was your date?"

Kayla jumped as she closed the door, hearing the assassin's voice behind her. She turned to see Natasha was now sitting on her bed, her legs crossed and her arms leaning back against the mattress.

"I see you're feeling better." Kayla answered simply, pulling her hair down from the high bun it was held in.

"Much better. Their tech is amazing here. Their medical practices are the most advanced I've ever seen. I understand why Steve brought Barnes here." Natasha responded, allowing Kayla to avoid her original question for a moment as she took a seat by the windows to pull off her shoes.

"Yeah... Steve said they could bring him out of cryo in a few weeks to determine how well Shuri's brain scans are working. She's hoping to remove the trigger words without hurting his mind or other memories." Kayla explained, tossing her shoes to the side and moving her legs to sit up on the arm rest.

"You and Steve must be getting along better. You've been out for several hours." Natasha watched Kayla, trying to read her calm expression. It wasn't coy or flirty, but she wasn't upset either.

Kayla shrugged, closing her eyes as she leaned her head back against the cushions. "Yeah, I guess. Today went well. We talked. We... are on the same page... but want different things."

Natasha nodded slowly, eyes narrowing in on the girl, studying her behavior. "Like?..."

"We want to get married, but he wants to keep fighting. He wants to go out and clean up the messes the Avengers caused. I... don't. I want to settle down, and that scares him." Kayla explained slowly, pushing her hair behind her ear nervously.

Natasha purses her lips in thought, "How's that going to work?"

Nat saw Kayla's lip quiver for a just a moment before she bit it still, staring out to the balcony in an effort to avoid looking to Natasha. "I'm not sure if it will."

"You're both stubborn. And neither of you give up. Find a compromise so you can both have what you want." Natasha shot back, her voice lacking empathy. "Give him a few years on the road, give him a deadline, then he comes home and you live the life you want."

"That... could work," Kayla answered, swinging her legs off of the couch to the floor, pushing herself to stand. She pulled her arm across her chest, stretching out her lean muscles. She was sore, but she had bigger issues to deal with than how she'd slept. "I'll go talk to Steve." Kayla moved toward the door but she winced as she moved.

Natasha rose quickly from the bed and grabbed Kayla's arm, noticing the wince return from her touch. "You seem worn out... you rest. I'll talk to Steve. He's in a weird place right now... with the whole Tony thing... I think I should talk to him."

Natasha expected Kayla to fight her, but the blonde simply nodded, "You're right. I'll stay here. Please, let me know what he says?"

"Of course. Feel better." Natasha looked to her hand on the blonde's arm, then let go and made her way toward the door. Kayla watched her go for a moment, then crawled into her bed to sleep, suddenly feeling very heavy and tired.

* * *

"How was your afternoon with Miss Ellis?" T'Challa asked as he, Steve, and Sam walked through the Wakandan Palace before dinner.

Steve held his head high, looking ahead as they walked, hands in the pockets of his long khaki pants. "It was good. It was really nice to spend time with her away from everyone else. I hadn't realized how long it had been since it was just the two of us."

"She's changed a lot since I met her several years ago. She came to Wakanda a broken and depressed woman, but she's determined now. She seems to have found what she was looking for. Did she find it in you?" The King asked the Captain as they came to stop at a large window overlooking the field Steve had met Kayla in earlier.

Steve turned to Sam, meeting his gaze before giving T'Challa a firm nod, "I believe so Your Highness. I intend to give her everything she deserves."

T'Challa took his answer to heart, lowering his chin in thought as he watched the soldier remove his hands from his pockets and place them confidently on his hips, "That's a big promise Captain. Your life together won't be that easy. Are you ready to make sacrifices for the woman you love?"

"He's right Steve," Sam added quietly, gaining the blonde man's attention, "Are you ready to put the battles behind you? She wants peace and quiet, and you want to take responsibility for your actions and right the wrongs of the Avengers. Are you sure that you two will be able to find a middle ground?"

"You boys beat me to it."

The three men turned around to see Natasha sidle up between Steve and Sam, looking out over the beautiful grasslands before them. "I had the same talk with Kayla. You two will need to compromise." Steve didn't say anything, which Nat took as an invitation to continue. "She'll come with you to clean up after Hydra and the Avengers, but you need to put a time limit on it, Rogers. Give it a few years, then settle down. It'll be good, for both of you."

Steve nodded, staring straight ahead, thoughts bouncing around in his head. He'd given up the shield. He had run away from his responsibilities. He wanted to finish the job the New Avengers had started but in the shadows. Eventually, the job would be done, and he'd have a beautiful woman waiting for him. It was something Steve wanted desperately, but it scared him. The idea of a quiet existence. Of a family. For almost three years, Kayla Ellis had been his whole world, and now he was at the precipice. It was time to dive in or give up, and Steven Grant Rogers never _ever_ gave up.

He turned and walked away from the three, never saying a word as he made his way back down the hallway toward his room, stewing over his thoughts. He wished he could talk to Bucky. Bucky would tell him what he should do. He'd known him when he was young and hopeful, and he would remind him what he had wanted when he was a regular person. Before he became Captain America. Before everything went spiraling out of control.

He found himself outside a large heavy door, but it wasn't his. He knocked quietly and got no answer, so he opened the door slowly and slipped in undetected. That's when he saw her curled up under the purple comforter of the large bed, and she appeared to be shivering. Zawadi laid next to her, and Steve could hear the dog whining quietly near the woman.

"Kay?" He walked soundlessly across the floor, his long legs helping him close the gap quickly. He sat on the bed next to her and realized she was incredibly pale. Earlier in the sun, he thought she looked luminescent, but now he could see the coloring was ghostlike. "Kay, what's wrong?" Steve asked, placing a large hand on her shoulder. She twisted her face uncomfortably from his touch, and he moved his hand to push her hair away from her face.

"Steve?" Kayla whimpered, pulling the covers around her tightly and curling her face into his thigh. "I don't feel so good."

"What happened? You were fine earlier..." Steve asked as he stroked her blonde hair, his own heartbeat pounding as he began to panic.

"I'm just so sore... it hurts," Kayla mumbled into Steve's leg, pressing her forehead into his outer thigh like it was her life force.

Steve quickly moved to kneel beside her so he could study her face, "What hurts?"

"Everything."

Steve scooped her up quickly and bolted toward the door, Zawadi's head raised as he watched them go. Steve managed to hold Kayla easily in one arm and fling the door open to the hallway. He looked around quickly, unsure of where to go.

"Take me to Shuri. She'll know what to do. I'm... having some sort of reaction..." Kayla moaned, resting her head against Steve's chest as he began to spring toward the main part of the palace.

He looked ahead as he listened, his pace urgent, "A reaction to what?"

"The super soldier serum. Something is askew. I feel...sore." Kayla answered, not sure herself what was happening. "It's been two years and I've been fine... what's happening now?"

"I don't know honey, but we're going to find out." Steve gently squeezed his hands against her side and realized she was right, her muscles weren't as strong as they usually were, she was almost mushy. His stomach plummeted as he realized that she'd done a bang-up job and something must have counteracted to her work.

Kayla shook as Steve carried her to where Sam, T'Challa, and Nat were still talking. "T'Challa, where's your sister? We need to go to the lab, now!"

T'Challa turned on his heels to meet the Captain, Nat and Sam hot on his heels when they saw Steve carrying Kayla. "What's wrong?" Sam asked worriedly, pressing a hand to Kayla's cheek.

"She thinks something is counteracting the super soldier serum, it's making her really weak." Steve finally looked down at his girl, luckily she seemed to not be getting any worse. "We need to get her to the Princes"

"Come. She's in her lab. I'll alert her that we are coming." Okoye appeared, motioning for Steve to follow her, and he ran to her side, the other following close behind.

"It's going to be alright, we're going to figure out what's happening to you." Steve murmured into Kayla's hair as Okoye loaded him onto the flying boat to take them to Shuri.

"I know baby. I know. I'll be okay." Kayla grumbled, pushing a small smile onto her face to assure him of her words.

When they arrived at the lab, Shuri was waiting for them, everything set up to examine her friend. "What's happened to you? You were fine last night at dinner!" She scolded, pulling up screens from her table as she looked at the blonde nervously.

"I woke up achy. I assumed I'd slept funny, but I've become so tired." She slurred as her eyes became heavy and she fought to keep them open.

Shuri looked to her brother and Steve, "What has she done, what has she eaten? What's different from normal that could have caused this?"

"She ate dinner last night, this morning I brought lunch from the kitchen. We went horseback riding and laid in the grass. I don't know why this is happening." Steve barked back anxiously, waiting for the genius to _tell_ him something instead of asking questions he couldn't answer.

Shuri looked back to Kayla, who moaned as she stretched out, trying to ease the burning in her veins. "Are you on any medications?"

Kayla looked at her friend with wide green eyes, a scowl on her face, "I stopped taking all my medications after the serum, all except my birth control-" She stopped, eyeing Steve quickly, then turning to Natasha. "Tony was making sure it got refilled. I ran out when I went home... I haven't taken it since."

"Did you take the pills continuously?" Natasha asked, making eye contact with Shuri as Steve just stood by, not understanding the conversation.

"Yes. I haven't had a period in years."

"Have you had one recently?" Natasha pressed, and Shuri began to get to work on her computers.

Kayla met Natasha's eyes, her own filled with fear, "It started the day before yesterday."

"Your body is out of wack because it's doing something it hasn't in a long time and your blood isn't regulating the same way it has been since you've gotten the serum. Your body probably got into a routine after the serum was injected into your bloodstream and now the serum is fighting your cells." Shuri offered, coming toward Kayla with a needle and tube. "This may hurt."

"Everything hurts, do it," Kayla answered and Shuri stuck the needle into the woman's arm and began taking blood. Steve's head was spinning. Tony was keeping her in balance. Tony was making sure she had everything she needed. Tony was protecting her from this mess that none of them knew was possible. But Steve had burnt that bridge and unwittingly caused Kayla to get hurt. He was guilty, and he was scared.

"What can we do to fix this?" Natasha pressed, looking over Shuri's shoulder at the monitors that Kayla's blood had flooded into.

Shuri looked from Kayla to Nat, "We have a couple of options. We could give her more serum to give her body a fresh boost. We could try to remove the serum, which could potentially be very dangerous. Or-"

"Or what?" Steve snapped, finally understanding that all of their options were very drastic. Removing the serum could be dangerous because she'd already taken an antidote and died. He couldn't risk that again. Adding more serum could be dangerous too because the super soldier serum rarely worked as it was supposed to. She was perfect as she was, and Steve didn't like the options presented to him.

"Blood transfusion," Shuri answered, unhooking the needle from Kayla's arm.

Kayla looked up at Steve, panic in her eyes. The soldier turned to the younger girl, face demanding, "A blood transfusion? I didn't realize she'd lost that much blood... isn't this a normal thing for women?"

"It's not for that." Shuri responded, stifling a laugh, "It would need to be _your_ blood, with the serum in it. Instead of giving her more actual serum we could potentially give her some of your blood to help kick-start her system into working correctly. I feel very confident this will be the best solution. Her body is rejecting itself, we need to give it more kick before it eats her away."

"Honey..." Kayla grabbed Steve's large hand, squeezing it assuredly. "I trust her. If you'll do it."

"Do ya'll even have the same blood type?" Sam interrupted, standing back with his arms crossed, trying to look tough and unaffected, but Kayla could see he was terrified as well.

"Yes, it's super soldier." Shuri winked at the pilot, then turned to the Captain. "Well?"

"Hook me up," Steve said quickly, rolling up his sleeve so the girl could find a vein. "This better work."

"It will, don't worry." The scientist explained as she plunged a needle into Steve's left arm, "Now flex so the blood starts running." She connected Kayla, then connected another IV into her arm to monitor her levels. "After this is over, I want to study you. Somebody should understand how this serum works. Did you even run any tests on yourself after you were injected?"

Kayla grimaced as she felt the transfusion reach her body, "Not exactly. Banner gave me a physical to make sure I didn't have any health problems or side effects. We didn't dive much deeper into it."

"Well if you survive this, that ends tomorrow." Shuri threatened, earning a glare from Steve and a chuckle from Kayla that turned into a pain filled scowl quickly.

"Deal." She sneered as she took a sharp intake of air. "This hurts like hell."

"But it'll make you feel better in the long run. But you understand, you can't go back on your medicine now. We can't mess around with this anymore." Shuri warned, disconnecting the needle from Steve.

Kayla moaned, throwing her head back as the pain jolted her body, but she noticed she didn't feel weak anymore. Shuri disconnected the wires and tubes from her, giving her some room to breathe. She panted as she felt the rush of Steve's blood invade her veins, but her body accepted it, and she felt more alive than she ever had before. Suddenly she became aware that she wasn't just the product of her own experiment. She was now the product of the experiment that inspired her to study science. She had Erskine's formula running through _her_ now.

After a few minutes, Sam and Steve appeared on either side of her, each taking a shoulder as they gently pushed her upright to sit on the table. Everything felt incredibly clear, and the pain was fading. She was healing. Steve grabbed her gently by the hips and slowly brought her to the ground, and she couldn't help but smirk as they both realized she was almost at eye level with him.

"How do you feel?" Steve asked, studying her to see if anything else had changed, but she seemed the same, if not more like herself than she'd been in a long time. She laughed and answered him quietly, "Taller."


	69. Chapter 69

Steve's head was swimming.

He knew it wasn't in Kayla's nature to come to him about things like her period, but he felt like she should have mentioned being sore. She'd let herself get sick without telling anyone. He'd almost lost her.

What if she hadn't found him in Moscow? What if she'd never known he was alive? Would she have just sat around with her family, hiding her pain until it was too late? Would they take her to the hospital and would the doctors even had known what to do? Would the government have come for her?

Kayla Dawn Ellis wasn't safe because Steve hadn't been there to take care of her, and it was that realization that pushed him into deciding he would never take that risk again. He'd never go _anywhere_ without his girl ever again. So as Shuri took more blood samples after the transfusion and got Kayla's height and weight, Steve stood close by, never letting her out of his sight.

After about an hour, Shuri turned to her brother and whispered something in his ear. He nodded before turning back to the others, "I'll send word for the cooks to begin dinner. It's late. Kayla needs rest, and we need nourishment. I'll make sure she gets some food when she returns." T'Challa told Nat, Sam, and Steve.

"I'm not leaving her," Steve growled, planting himself like a rock next to his Kayla.

"Captain Rogers, I'm nearly done with her. She needs rest and to be back in the lab first thing tomorrow morning. There's nothing you can do by watching her." Shuri spat back with the same amount of force Steve had used in his declaration. The scientist put her hands on her hips, staring Steve down.

Kayla saw Steve's form shake ever so slightly, his instincts and his brain at war. To see Captain America so unhinged was like watching an untamed animal claim its prey. He was wild and unruly, and Kayla found her own body betray her at the sight of him being protective of her. She was in so much pain, but all she could feel was how he made her legs twitch uncomfortably.

"Please... let me stay with her tonight." Steve changed his tactic, appealing to the Princess's fondness for Kayla.

Shuri turned to Kayla, silently asking if that's what she wanted, and Kayla just nodded once, giving her approval. "Fine. But she needs to sleep. Have her back here at seven am." Shuri instructed, then turned back to her brother. "We'll be done soon. Have food for both of them sent to the room. I'll be there before it gets cold."

T'Challa smiled as he met Steve's eyes, glad the soldier was being allowed to stay with his girlfriend after the day they'd had. They were struggling, but they adored each other, that much was certain. Natasha and Sam looked as reluctant as Steve to leave, but they knew they could do nothing to help the couple now, so they followed T'Challa and Okoye back to the transport that would take them to the palace.

"Why didn't you tell anyone you were off your birth control?" Shuri hissed once it was just the three of them.

Kayla shrugged, her cheeks reddening at her friend's frustration, "What was I supposed to do? I can't go to the doctor... I'm not only supposed to be dead, but I'm also a wanted criminal. So... I didn't exactly have a lot of options. And I wasn't exactly having lots of sex-"

Steve choked on the sharp breath he took, both girls turning to look at him. Suddenly he was redder than Kayla at her insinuation.

"Don't worry about it, Steve..." Kayla started, seeing his embarrassment grow, "I thought you were dead."

"But before that-"

"I was still taking it, so clearly I wasn't planning on staying abstinent." Kayla interrupted, a small grin breaking across her features as she showed him her perfect teeth. "I... gave up, without you."

"You slept with Stark." He blurted, and Shuri turned away, not wanting to get caught in their awkward conversation.

"And I realized that was _clearly_ a bad choice. He was lonely. I was despondent. We had sex, it was sex. I've had sex before. You're aware of this."

"How many?"

"How many what?" Kayla asked casually as Steve became more distressed. "How many times have I had sex? How many men I've slept with?"

"Both." He settled on, wishing he'd had this conversation long before now. She was always so present with him, he didn't delve into her past. But maybe he should have? Was sex really such a flippant thing for her that she wasn't bothered by the fact that she _slept with Tony Stark?_

"I don't have the answer to your first question. It's not exactly something I've been counting over the years." Kayla said quietly, earning a horrified look from Steve. "Don't look at me like that! You knew who I was!"

Steve swallowed his discomfort, "And the second question."

"Nineteen."

Captain America's legs felt like jelly as he took in the information she'd given him. "Nine...teen?"

"Yes. Stark was nineteen. In the past eight years." Kayla's green eyes locked into Steve's blues, seeing his thought collect themselves. She could see him counting.

"You were eighteen?" He asked, the conversation switching gears.

Kayla nodded, rocking her body back and forth slightly, "Most are much younger, but... I had some morals at the time."

"Did you love him?" Steve spouted, and Kayla began walking toward the door, Shuri trying to meet her pace and join her.

When the women reached the glass doors, Kayla turned back to Steve, "We aren't talking about this now. I'm tired. Are you coming or not?"

Steve was never one to give up, but this wasn't a mission. This was Kayla, and he knew he'd never get information from her that she didn't want to disclose. But now he was curious, and she knew he was a dog with a bone. Maybe she could throw that bone far away for a while, at least until she felt better.

* * *

It was the longest flying boat ride Kayla had ever been on. Steve was stewing, which was a very Steve Rogers thing to do, but it made her uneasy. She knew as soon as they were alone he would start harassing her again. Shuri actually needed answers for health reasons but Steve just wanted to dig into her past, but it was something she didn't want to talk about.

When the arrived, Shuri parted ways with the pair, and Kayla was suddenly very anxious to be alone with Steve. It was a feeling she had never really experienced, she was _scared_ to be alone with him. Not because he would hurt her, not physically, but because the things he wanted to know would bring up memories she didn't want to experience.

"You're taller," Steve muttered as she closed the door, and she stood tall and turned.

She tilted her head to the side and squinted at the soldier, "We already established that?"

"I-I don't like it." He told her, shoving his hands into his pockets awkwardly as he stared at the ground.

"Excuse me?" Kayla barked back. This wasn't like Steve at all.

He looked up at her defiantly, "I don't like it. I miss the woman I met. I want her back. I want back the relationship that we had, the one we had a taste of earlier."

Kayla scoffed, crossing her arms, but Steve saw a shimmer of pain in her face at the motion, her arms sore from the new blood in her veins, "What do you want from me, Steve? I can't control what's happened to me, to us. We aren't the same people who met three years ago. Hell, I'm not the same woman who woke up this morning. I'm scared and I'm freaking out. I'm thousands of miles away from everything I know and I can never go back. It's really not that complicated. Do you want to marry me?"

"Yes! Of course I do."

"Alright, then let's get married. Let's do what Nat suggested, we'll be on the road for a few years then settle down. Deal?" Kayla gave the soldier the ultimatum, and suddenly he was faced with the decision again. He'd been so sure of himself when he came to her door earlier, but now that she was staring him down, demanding an answer, he wasn't so sure.

 _He can't give it up. Not even for me._

Kayla wanted to fall to her knees and cry, she wanted to scream and throw things with her superhuman strength at the man she loved because he hurt her so damn bad all the fucking time. She was so in love with the man beneath the mask and despite everything that had happened he couldn't hang up the shield. She wanted to weep for herself, and for the life she gave up to chase the first Avenger.

But it didn't happen like that.

Not at all.

Steve knelt in front of her, her eyes growing wide as he reached into his pocket and pulled out her ring. "Three years. Come with me for three years to finish the fight. Then help me find a place to settle down and raise our family."

"You want kids?"

"Yes. I want kids, and more dogs, and horses, and a yard with a picket fence and a fireplace where you can read to the kids while I do the dishes."

Kayla laughed, her eyes welling up with happy tears, "You'll do the dishes?"

"Every night. Anything for you. Just let me finish what I've started. Come with me, and then we'll spend the rest of our lives being whoever you want us to be." Steve finished, offering the ring back to the blonde.

Kayla nodded furiously, shoving her left hand at Steve, and he pushed the ring up her slim finger again, then stood and embraced her, rubbing her back lovingly. She pressed her face into the crook of his neck, bending more than she used to because she was almost as tall as he was now. But did she love him.

"Let's get some rest, Shuri wants you back at the lab at seven. Then we can start planning the wedding." Steve urged, taking a step toward the bed and taking her with him. She reached up and pecked his lips gently before grinding her feet into the ground, bringing them to a halt.

"Rest yes. Sleep no." She mumbled in between kissing the soldier, and he beamed at her as he gently pushed her onto the bed, being pulled down to crouch over her. "Plus, we have to wait a few weeks to get married."

"Why's that?" Steve asked curiously, flashing her a loving smile as he looked down at her laying on the bed, her hair splayed across the pillow.

"Because you need to have your best man defrosted first."

He then took his turn kissing her lovingly, then nuzzling her cheek as she pulled the covers over them both, and buried her face into his chest for a while before falling asleep. He stroked her hair as he looked down at her, knowing he'd never leave her again. He'd have his best friend and his girl and part of his team. He could still have everything, despite what had transpired between him and Stark.

That was, assuming, that everything went according to plan.

Which it wouldn't. But that is a story for a different day.


	70. Chapter 70

**Five Weeks Later**

"Umm, mix the blue and red together, they look really pretty like that."

The woman nodded at Kayla's request, lacing blue orchids amongst the red roses Kayla loved so much. Another woman appeared next to Kayla, showing off two different types of fabric, one lacey white and another a deep blue with red lace over it. Kayla pointed to the more colorful option, loving the patriotic color scheme she had once planned for her wedding. She appreciated T'Challa's kindness in letting her have her wedding at the palace. It wouldn't be exactly as she'd planned, and a lot of people would be missing, but, it was better than having no wedding at all.

"Are you finding everything to your satisfaction?" A woman's voice came from behind Kayla, and she turned to see T'Challa's mother standing behind her, hands folded in front of her.

"Of course Your Majesty." Kayla bowed her head respectfully toward the older woman, giving her a beaming smile as she stood straight again. "It will be perfect. I can't thank you all enough for what you've offered for us."

"We are happy to help. It's kind of exciting, getting to experience an American wedding. I think the staff finds it quite fun." The woman threw a glance at the woman who had spoken with Kayla, milling about setting up for the ceremony that would take place in three days.

"As I said, I really do appreciate it. I just wish there was more we could do for you all. We've been living here for over a month and we have done nothing to help you at all. Please, let us do something for you all." Kayla admitted, feeling guilty for the hospitality the Wakandans had shown them.

"Shuri says you are quite helpful in the lab. She says you've made great advances in our medicine. You may not see it now, but someday you'll save someone's life, and we'll be thankful you were here." Queen Ramonda explained, looking to Kayla as she watched the women work. "Speaking of which, Shuri has asked that Captain Rogers meet her in the lab. It seems it's time for his friend to come out of cryo."

Kayla nodded quickly, looking at the blue and red flowers one last time, "I'll go get Steve and we'll head right over. Thank you."

* * *

"We've started the process of thawing out Sargent Barnes, he should be awake soon." Shuri explained as she milled about the chamber that held Bucky.

"How is he doing?" Steve asked worriedly, looking through the foggy glass.

Shuri didn't stop moving as she hit buttons and moved dials, the temperature of the capsule rising slowly. "He should be much better. I did several trial runs of the algorithm before we applied it to Barnes's mind. Kayla helped a lot." Steve turned to look at his fiance, eyes softening as she chewed her lip nervously.

"He'll be fine Steve. We spent hours pouring over the variables, the outcomes. He'll be fine." Steve could tell she wasn't as certain as she was trying to appear, but he knew that if she had her hand in it, then it was the best scenario that was possible. Plus, he knew T'Challa wouldn't do anything to hurt Bucky, he meant to help the man who he had hunted.

Kayla was startled by the hissing emitting from the chamber as the chamber starting pouring the gas out through the bottom. She watched wearily, praying that they hadn't done any more damage to Bucky's frazzled mind.

The glass casing slowly moved down, allowing Bucky to breathe the fresh air of the world for the first time in months. He visibly sighed as he came back to consciousness before slowly blinking his eyes open to see Steve standing before him. The last thing he saw before he went under was the first thing he saw as he came back to life.

"Steve." Bucky mumbled, a smile creeping across his stubbly face.

"How you feeling Buck?" Steve questioned, slowly taking a step closer as the doctors arrived on either side to help the man out of the cryo chamber and to the ground, prepared to steady him if he lost his footing. But the soldier grabbed the side of the glass tube and held it tight with his right hand, aware that his left hand was nonexistent.

"A little lightheaded... but good. I feel, pretty good actually." He answered quietly, meeting Steve's gaze before Cap closed the distance and embraced his friend. Kayla smiled fondly in the background.

After pulling away from Steve, Bucky's eyes landed on the blonde, and he didn't shy away from wrapping her in his one arm, resting his head against hers. "I'm so glad you found each other again. Steve was so worried about you."

Kayla paled as she realized Bucky didn't know everything that had happened between herself and Steve. Bucky didn't know that she'd broken Steve's heart and shattered his trust. He didn't know that Tony had said they both had died. Had Tony said that? Had Tony mentioned Barnes at all? Probably not, but Kayla assumed he'd died if Steve had. They were a joint set.

"Yeah, uh, it was a bit rocky for a while, but we're here now. We're getting married. In three days." Kayla blurted, effectively throwing the conversation back to Steve as Bucky gawked at her soldier for a moment.

"Three days?" He asked, "That's so... quick. Although I guess I wasn't around for the original date was I?"

"No, no you weren't. We've, uh, been waiting, for you." Steve stuttered, feeling pressured between his future wife and his best friend.

Bucky's eyebrows drew together at his words, "For me? Why?"

"I was hoping you'd be my best man," Steve said bashfully, shuffling his boot against the floor. Bucky looked to Kayla who bopped her head in a little nod, a smirk pressed onto her lips.

Bucky beamed at his best friend, showing off his perfect smile, "You seem to think I might say no? I'd kill you if you asked anyone else, you punk." Bucky laughed, placing his hand on Steve's shoulder. "I'd be honored."

"Good. I'll get you two get caught up. I have more planning to do." Kayla excused herself, bowing slightly to the men as a goodbye. "If you need me, I'll be around. Don't have too much fun though, okay? I'd like to keep you in one piece for Saturday."

"I can't make any promises. You've got two more days of freedom. We should celebrate! Where's the bird?" Bucky hollered, throwing his fist into the air triumphantly as he watched Kayla leave.

"He's in his room. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you." Steve said, biting back a shit-eating grin as he tried his best to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

Suddenly Shuri was waltzing into the room, a tablet in her hand, "You aren't going anywhere yet Sargent Barnes. We have tests to do. Captain Rogers can come back in an hour or so, _then_ you can plan whatever shenanigans you please."

Bucky stuck out his lower lip in a subtle pout, looking to Steve to get him out of his exam, but the Captain just shrugged, "She's been working hard to clear your mind, Buck. Give her this much."

"Alright, let's get this over with," Bucky mumbled, sitting up on a table. He gave Shuri a real smile though, despite his complaints, "I hope my mind is everything you hoped it would be."

"I hope so too, if not, we have a lot more work ahead of us." She mumbled with a roll of her eyes as Steve pushed away from the table. He gave her a grateful nod and left, finding Kayla just outside the door.

"I thought you had planning to do?-"

"He doesn't know what happened with us. I feel... bad. I feel like he thinks we are one thing, but we're not. We've gone through so much since he's been under..." Kayla looked back toward the lab, shifting her weight between her legs nervously. "Won't he hate me when he realizes what I did?"

Steve wrapped his large arms around the woman, holding her tightly, "He'll understand. He's done a lot of bad things, and he's getting a second chance. He'll understand that you are getting a second chance too."

"Have I told you how much I love you, Steve Rogers?"

"You can always tell me again."

"I love you. And I can't wait to finally marry you." Kayla breathed as she leaned up to give the soldier a kiss.

"Soon Darling," he answered, pressing his forehead to hers, "I've got something I have to do. I'll be gone for a couple of days, but I _promise_ I'll be back by Saturday."

Kayla pulled away, meeting his eyes with a frustrated glare. "You're leaving? Now?"

"Don't you trust me?"

"Of course, but the wedding, and Bucky-"

"I'll be back Friday night. And I'll be standing at the end of the aisle Saturday afternoon. I swear on my life." Steve grabbed her right hand and pressed a kiss onto her knuckles.

Kayla scoffed, but didn't pull away, "I'll hold you too that Rogers."

"I love you, Kay."

She sighed, pressing a kiss to his lips before he backed away toward the palace. "I love you too Steve."

* * *

"What are you going to wear Saturday? You haven't told us anything!" Shuri whined as she tried on her most 'American Wedding' looking dress.

"Just a dress. Something simple." Kayla answered as she laid on Shuri's bed, laying upside down looking at the girl. "You look great by the way. You can really wear whatever you want."

Shuri snorted, "I don't need to wear a tribal corset for your wedding. This is half the fun. Plus, I don't want to look silly next to Natasha and Wanda."

Wanda let out a light-hearted laugh from where she sat on the bed next to Kayla. Sam had flown her in from Scotland Thursday morning to be there for the days leading up to the wedding. Natasha sat cross-legged on the floor, watching Shuri with interest as the girl rummaged through her clothes.

"You know it's your wedding right? You should have a long white dress or something like that." Shuri waved her hand as she spoke, moving to the closet to remove the long blue dress she'd decided to wear.

"She's right you know. You loved that gown so much." Wanda remembered, thinking back to when days were easier. A small smile pulled at her lips, thinking back to dress shopping and how she would never admit she had been picking out dresses she'd want in her mind.

Kayla grimaced a little, imagining the gown gathering dust in the Avengers Compound. Assuming Tony hadn't thrown it out already. "It is what it is. We all imagined things a little different from how they turned out."

Natasha rolled her eyes at the overdramatic blonde, "Alright Ellis, I guess this is as good of a time as any to let you in on a little surprise." She stood quickly and waltzed out of the room, the three other women sharing a look before following her out the door. Natasha led them to her room in the palace and opened the door, leading them inside. "When I found out Steve was alive, I knew you'd be needing this sooner or later." She pulled a small trunk from under the bed and opened it, revealing Kayla's vintage dress inside.

"Nat!" Kayla cried, lunging toward her friend to hug her as she stared at the white fabric. "I can't believe you grabbed it-"

"I snuck it onto the helicarrier once I knew I was going to get you. I didn't figure we'd be going back. I'm glad I did." Natasha pulled away from Kayla, allowing the blonde to pull out the dress.

"What if it doesn't fit me anymore?" She grumbled, holding the dress up to herself.

Nat shrugged, "Worst case scenario it's a little snug, a little short. It's still _your dress_. It'll be perfect."

"Am I the only one here who hasn't seen it? Go ahead! Put it on! We still have a day to fix any issues!" Shuri prodded loudly, watching Kayla intently. Kayla slowly began to strip out of her black jeans that were just a little too tight from the serum and the red shirt that fit just right. Then Wanda gingerly helped her slip the beautiful dress over her head and body.

"I think it's perfect," Wanda whispered as she took a step back from adjusting the dress. "Even with you taller, it still fits like a dream." The more time the Sokovian beauty had spent in Scotland, the less noticeable her accent had become. It made Kayla a little sad that she was losing that little part of herself.

Kayla bat back the tears threatening to spill over her blushing cheeks as she moved to look into the mirror near the bathroom. She was fully aware that she was getting married, but suddenly it felt very very real. What had once felt like an elopement now felt like an actual wedding, white gown and all. Sure, she wished her parents could be there, but she had so many wonderful friends and a wonderful fiance. Suddenly it hit her that she was going to _marry_ Steve Rogers the day after tomorrow.

She was about to become a wife.

The notorious Kayla Ellis, who left behind a life of glamour to hide in the shadows. She was settling down. She was getting married.

 _I'm getting married._

"You okay there Kay?" Nat pressed as she walked up behind the bride, placing her strong hands on the blonde's shoulders.

"I'm getting married," Kayla said aloud, still staring at herself in the mirror. "I'm getting married... to... Steve..."

"Yes. Yes, you are." Natasha groaned, "Now come on, let's get out of that dress and make sure everyone else is ready. Who is standing with Steve?"

"Bucky and Sam." Kayla rattled as Wanda helped her out of her dress. "T'Challa is performing the ceremony, because he's the King. So he has the power to marry people right?"

"Who's walking you down the aisle?" Shuri asked, shoving her hands in the pockets of her sweater.

Kayla pulled her red shirt back over her torso, yanking it down before picking up her jeans. "Myself."

Natasha, Wanda, and Shuri shared a knowing look, seeing the girl was hiding sadness.

"You sure you're okay with that?" Wanda asked slowly, looking up at the tall blonde from under her thick eyelashes.

Kayla shrugged, pulling her long hair over her right shoulder, "I don't have much of a choice do I?"

"Let's not dwell on what can't be. You should get some rest, it's going to be a big couple of days." Natasha shooed Kayla out of the room, but the other two girls stayed behind. "We need to talk. Without you. Goodnight Kayla."

Once Kayla was outside the door, it slammed behind her, leaving her confused and alone in the Wakandan palace.


	71. Chapter 71

When the sun rose over Wakanda on Saturday morning, Kayla Ellis was worried. She was worried because the man she was supposed to marry was nowhere to be seen. T'Challa had been tight-lipped, but that wasn't abnormal for the King from what Kayla could tell. Sam was avoiding the blonde, so clearly he knew what Steve was up to, and even though Sam didn't seem too concerned, Kayla didn't trust the pilot's judgment.

Kayla left her room quietly at dawn, unable to sleep in on her wedding day. She clicked her tongue for Zawadi to follow, shushing him as he began to whine. She walked through the empty palace quietly, not wearing shoes to avoid making any noise, although Zawadi's claws betrayed them. She silently crept toward the massive glass doors and opened them, letting the warm African air fill her lungs as she moved outside with the dog.

"Today's the day Buddy. Let's just hope Steve makes it back on time. Wherever he is." Kayla rubbed Zawadi's head lovingly as he panted against her leg, enjoying the attention. Zawadi wasn't a puppy anymore, but he would always be Kayla's baby. The ridge on his back suddenly rose and a low growl emitted from his throat as Kayla went stiff.

"He'll be back. The punk never goes back on his word. To a fault sometimes."

Kayla turned quickly to see the Winter Soldier lumbering toward her, a weak smile on his face. The side of her mouth tilted up and she petted Zawadi's head, shushing the dog to get him to calm down. "You can't sleep either I take it?"

Bucky shook his head, sitting down next to the woman and resting his arm on his knee, placing his chin in his palm. "No. I've been asleep for too long. I'm more than happy to be awake." He looked to the dog who was watching him wearily, baring his teeth slightly. "Nice dog there."

Kayla squeezed Zawadi's lower jaw gently, effectively stopping the dog from growling at the large man, "He's normally not like this. He loves Steve."

"Who doesn't?" Bucky smiled up at Kayla. "He's a great guy. You're pretty lucky."

"I know I am. I promise I don't take him for granted."

"You slept with Stark-"

Kayla's jaw dropped and she squawked loudly, "He told you about that? I thought he was dead-"

"I get it. I've done a lot of things I regret. Steve can be a little... righteous. He doesn't really understand how it feels to do terrible things. The guilt associated with doing things you don't want to do." Bucky zoned out, staring off into the distance as he spoke, clearly thinking about more than her fling with the man who tried to kill him.

"The difference is you weren't controlling your actions. I knew what I was doing. I just thought I had nothing left to lose." Kayla sat her chin against her fist, her eyes lulling a little as she thought about the day ahead of her.

"Regret is still regret. He understands. He just... worries. That he'll disappoint you." Bucky grinned deviously, trying to hold back a laugh.

Kayla stared back at Barnes, not dignifying his insinuations with a response. She narrowed her green eyes, twisting her mouth awkwardly. "I need to get ready for my wedding. Will my fiance be there?"

"Yes. He'll be there. You know he will." Bucky answered, using his one arm to shove himself to his feet, then offer his hand to help Kayla up. She took it hesitantly and let him help her up.

"Thank you." She mumbled, pulling her long hair over her right shoulder as it fell toward her waist. "I'll see you later."

Kayla moved swiftly toward the palace, Zawadi giving Bucky one last growl before he trotted after her. Once inside, she continued moving toward her room, passing everyone else's doors, some which had sound coming through as their inhabitants began to stir. Once she was inside her room, Kayla moved toward her bathroom and turned on the water, letting the cold water wash away her worries about Steve and his whereabouts. She was wary about the mysterious Bucky Barnes. Even though he seemed more stable enough, she knew his mind wasn't completely clear yet. He seemed... haunted. And she hoped that he wouldn't pull down Steve to a place he couldn't come back from.

It had happened before.

More than once.

There was Kayla and there was Bucky. And Steve Rogers was completely and utterly devoted... to both of them. And that worried Kayla. Where was he now? Why wasn't he here? Why was she being kept in the dark? What was he doing that was so secret she had to spend the two days leading up to her own wedding alone?

A knock pulled Kayla from her thoughts and she realized she'd been in the shower a ridiculously long time. She quickly began to shampoo her hair and pull conditioner through the long ends, yelling over the rushing water, "Just a minute!"

"Just... making sure you're alive!" Wanda called before adding, "Steve's back!"

That was enough to make Kayla turn off the water and dry off quickly, practically leaping out of the shower and toward the front door, grabbing her silky bathrobe as she moved to open the bathroom door. When she did, she found Nat and Wanda on the other side, Nat's arms crossed defensively.

"Nuh uh. No seeing the groom before the ceremony. He has to get ready, and so do you." Natasha moved toward the blonde, pushing her back into the steamy bathroom as she pulled out the chair to the vanity, pointing down at the purple cushion for Kayla to sit. "We've got three hours to get you ready. With as much soaking wet hair as you've got, it could take a while."

Wanda dumped the contents of Kayla's favorite makeup bag onto the vanity as Natasha went to work brushing the bride's long blonde hair. Wanda didn't ask to borrow Kayla's eyeshadow, she just went about applying it gently to her delicate lids.

Kayla Ellis couldn't help but smile as the sight in the mirror. A deadly assassin was brushing the soggy knots out of her hair while a powerful psychic used her eyeshadow palette. What a strange existence she'd found herself in. She was a politician's daughter. She was intrigued by a seventy-year-old legend, and that curiosity led to lots of school and hard work and eventually led her to steal that vile of blood from the Shield headquarters in New York City. All of that led to the Governor's Ball, and the moment she met Steve Rogers. And that night led to all of this.

All of a sudden, she wasn't worried anymore. She was content with her current situation, and she could see the bright future looming before her, only a few hours away.

* * *

"The boys are ready, how is she coming?" Shuri asked as she entered Kayla's room unannounced. She gasped when she saw Kayla, her long hair pulled into a side braid and her red lipstick making her perfect teeth practically shimmer. The vintage dress really did fit her perfectly, especially since she wasn't wearing any shoes. Shuri wasn't the type of girl to cry, and this day was no different, but she nodded to show her approval, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." Kayla murmured, head tilted down as Wanda tried to clip in her veil.

She huffed a little, struggling with the comb, "This isn't working. I'm going to see if someone can help me." Her words were a little rushed, and she literally floated out of the room, followed by Shuri. Kayla turned to Natasha, who just looked up from where she was kneeling at Kayla's feet, working out a wrinkle in the hem. A mischievous grin played on her features, but before Kayla could ask what she was thinking, she too rose and left the room.

Once alone, Kayla made her way to the large balcony, looking out over the beautiful sprawling field. Suddenly, a dark blue suit caught her eye, and she realized Steve was below, so she backpedaled into the room, almost tripping on her dress. After catching her footing, she turned around and came face to face with her mother.

"Mom?" Kayla asked as her bottom lip began to tremble. "What are you doing here?"

Sandra Ellis beamed at her daughter, eyes already watering at the sight before her, "I couldn't miss your wedding sweetheart. You look absolutely stunning." Sandra wrapped her daughter in an embrace, allowing the girl to whimper softly into her shoulder as she tried not to cry and mess up her makeup.

"Just like we planned."

Kayla looked up from her mother's shoulder to see Tiffany standing behind her. She let go of her mom and hugged the little brunette who stood before her in a red dress and heels. "I can't believe you're here! How-"

"Steve reached out several weeks ago. He called in a few favors to get a hold of us and made arrangements to pick us up. We landed this morning." Sandra explained from behind the girls as Kayla look to her.

"That's where he's been!" Kayla cried as she wiped a loose tear from the underside of her eye. "I can't believe it..."

Tiffany moved around to fluff out the back of Kayla's vintage dress, grabbing the bouquet of roses from the bed where it sat and handing it to Kayla. "It's time."

The little brunette clicked away to the door to meet up with the other bridesmaids, leaving Kayla and her mother alone. Kayla watched her go, then turned to Sandra, "I... I can't believe it. It's all I've wanted for so long. For you to be here, for dad-" Kayla looked around frantically, looking for her father. "Where is he?"

Sandra cupped Kayla's cheek and stroked it gently with her thumb. "He's outside. He's ready when you are Sweetheart."

Kayla radiated happiness as she sprinted toward the door, her train flowing behind her as she closed the gap between herself and heavy door, flinging it open easily to reveal her father standing in a tux, adjusting his cufflinks as he waited. "Daddy?" When he saw her standing before him, he barely had a chance to react as she threw herself into his arms, squeezing him tightly. "You're here."

"We're here. Steve insisted we come." He answered, patting her braided hair lovingly. "He's waiting. Are you ready? There will be plenty of time to catch up before we head back home."

Kayla nodded quickly as her mother arrived at her father's side, "I'm ready." She linked her arm through Mathew Ellis's and he led her down the palace halls toward the large doors leading to the ceremony.

* * *

Sandra Ellis found her spot near the front of the ceremony, and her arrival meant that the bride was on her way. Steve shifted in his boots, wishing he had something nicer to wear than his Captain America suit. It was battered, but it was clean. He'd tried to make it look as nice as he could, but he didn't have much to work with. He hadn't exactly packed for this. Bucky and Sam were wearing nice dark jackets and pants that T'Challa had make work for them. Bucky placed his right hand on Steve's shoulder, giving Cap a gentle shake to ease his mind. Sam glared at Bucky but didn't say anything, knowing better than to be jealous on Steve's big day.

Wakandan musicians played a traditional African wedding song, and Shuri began walking down the aisle, signaling the beginning of the wedding.

Steve felt the color drain from his cheeks, and all he could hear was the sound of his heart thudding in his chest. He was _nervous_. Steve Rogers was a lot of things, but he was human. And faced with the most important day of his life, even he felt the pressure for everything to be perfect.

Wanda walked down the aisle after Shuri, carrying the same red and blue flowers Kayla had picked out days before. She wore a short red dress, the same color as her favorite jacket. Her hair was pulled back into a slick ponytail dangling down her back over the strapless dress.

Steve was about to make a commitment to Kayla Ellis that he would be there for her. He couldn't put the greater good ahead of her anymore. He couldn't put Bucky or Tony or Peggy or anyone or anything else ahead of her ever again. She was going to be his wife.

Natasha came around the corner next, in a beautiful blue dress with a white streak from her left hip toward her right thigh. Her long red hair was clipped daintily at the back of her head. Steve had never seen Natasha looking so _dainty_ before. The Black Widow wasn't dainty, but today, she was a different woman.

What if Steve had to go? What if after they settled down the world needed him? He couldn't turn his back on his responsibilities. He was _created_ to defend the world. He couldn't ignore that, could he? On the opposite end of the spectrum, what if he took Kayla into the line of fire and she got hurt? What would his life mean if he actually _lost her?_ After everything they had been through, after everything they'd achieved, he couldn't lose her. Not again.

Tiffany appeared around the corner, unable to contain the brilliant smile on her round face. Steve spared a glance at Sam, knowing it had been a long time since he saw his girl. Sam grinned at Tiffany, and she met his eye for a moment before turning to Steve, giving the blonde soldier a wink as she took her place closest to T'Challa, who stood between the women and Steve.

 _This is it._

And there she was.

She took his breath away. Steve's breath hitched as Mathew Ellis walked side by side with his daughter toward the Captain, Kayla smiling underneath her veil. At that moment, all his fears and doubts faded away, and Steve knew that everything was going to be perfect. He was going to spend the rest of his life with his girl. He wanted to race down the center of the few guests in attendance, staff of the Wakandan palace who had wanted to see the traditions of the American wedding. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her and sweep her off her feet and take her away forever. It took everything in him not to meet her halfway.

It was the longest few moments of his life. And then she was there.

Mathew Ellis wrapped his arms around Kayla in a loving hug, whispering in her ear. When they pulled away, he grabbed her hand and gave it to Steve, patting it gently. "I'm so proud to call you my son. I know you'll take good care of her."

"I will. I promise." Steve choked out, not realizing how tight his throat was until he tried to speak. Once Mathew moved to stand beside his wife, Steve turned Kayla to face him as Tiffany fluffed the back of her dress.

T'Challa cleared his throat and addressed the two loud enough for everyone to hear, "As you may know, I am not a priest, and I have not spent much time in America." The attendees laughed along with the wedding party, then he continued, "But as King, I have the authority to marry these two people. I knew Kayla for a brief time, and this is a different woman than the one I knew. The girl I met several years ago was lifeless and unhappy. The woman before me is strong and in love. I've seen these two together, and I've seen them apart, and there's a certain hope that lingers in the air when they are in each other's company. Lucky for all of us, they plan to never be apart again." The King looked to Kayla and Steve, and Sam reached into his pocket, pulling out the two rings to hand to T'Challa. "We could talk and talk but there aren't words for this moment. Just two people who are in love, and can't exist without the other. In this world, or the next." Tiffany handed T'Challa a folded piece of paper and he read from it with a smile, "As I said, I'm not American. I hope I do this justice." Kayla laughed loudly, but he continued, "Do you, Steven Grant Rogers, take Kayla Ellis to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

T'Challa barely had a chance to finish his words when Steve blurted, "I do." Kayla could feel his hands trembling, and she squeezed them a little tighter once he slid the ring onto her finger.

T'Challa repeated the words to her, and she replied the same as Steve, unable to contain her excitement.

"I do."

"As King of Wakanda, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride Captain." T'Challa finished, seemingly relieved that his brief time as a minister had come to an end.

Steve flipped Kayla's veil and pulled her into his lips, holding her face against his as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He slowly bent back, dipping her as he kissed her, trying not to deepen the kiss as much as he wanted to. Their guests cheered as Steve pulled her back up and released her from their liplock, then scooped her up and carried his bride away, just like he'd imagined for the past three years.


	72. Chapter 72

**96 Weeks Later**

"Steve?"

"Kay, I can't talk long... did you see the news?"

The blonde looked at her watch, it was ten o'clock at night. "No, I can't say I have, why?" She stood from her spot on the couch and rolled her fingers across the desk, bringing the television screen to life. "What news should I watch?"

"New York."

Kayla's green eyes narrowed onto the screen as the newscast played from her home country. Two creatures stood amongst the rubble, and a familiar red glimmer shot across the sky. After watching for a moment, the banner went from reading "New York Attacked" to "Tony Stark Missing." A sob left Kayla's throat as she grabbed onto her mouth, pressing the small phone closer to her ear to listen to her husband. "Steve... he's gone."

She heard a scoff from the other end, a sound the confused her. He'd long forgiven the billionaire for almost destroying their relationship. Steve knew he had betrayed Tony, and Tony had betrayed him. But right now, at that moment, the wrongdoings of the two men seemed so small compared to the alien invasion threatening New York City. "Gone isn't always what it seems Kay-" He cut off, then returned, his voice much more urgent. "I have to go."

"Steve I have to-"

And the phone clicked, silence cutting off Kayla's confession. After a moment Kayla sighed and heaved herself off the couch, moving slowly to go to bed. Sleep was trying to take her, and despite her growing nervousness, she was in no mood to fight it off. A brood of little Rhodesian Ridgebacks nursed against their mother, who was resting at the foot of the bed frame.

* * *

The sound of little barks woke Mrs. Rogers at dawn, and she checked her phone to see several missed calls from Steve. She shot up in her bed, quickly dialing the number to Steve's burner phone. Only a handful of people could get a hold of Steve this way. One of them was Kayla, and another, Tony Stark.

"Steve!" Kayla cried, cradling the phone closer to her cheek as the line clicked alive. "Steve are you alright?"

"I'm fine Kay, but Vision is hurt. We are going home. Back to the base. In New York." Steve explained.

Kayla's lip quivered a little, trying to register what he was saying, "How did you know where he was? Was he with Wanda? Is she okay?"

"She's a little shaken up, but mostly unscathed," Steve answered calmly, trying to keep his wife from losing her cool. "I just wanted to update you. We need to deal with this. Thanos is coming."

Kayla opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. Luckily, Steve continued to explain, "Banner is back. He got a hold of me. He was with Tony when he went after the ship."

"He went after the ship? Like, he followed it? The aliens left?" Kayla stuttered, pressing her fingers to her temples as the information flooded her mind. "What did they come for?"

"They are looking to gather the six Infinity Stones for Thanos. Banner says he's trouble, and his men came after Vision. They... are powerful." Steve cautioned, hearing Kayla's breath hitch. "Please don't worry. I'll be safe. I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep Rogers. Not now. There's too much at stake." Kayla threatened, placing a gentle hand on her stomach. "Your child needs its father."

A gentle smile pulled at the corner's of Steve's lips, "Are you showing yet?"

Kayla chuckled back through the phone, helping to lift her husband's spirits. "Yes darling. I'm five months along, I'm definitely showing. Although... I need to talk to you about that-"

She was cut off by a quiet groan, "I'm sorry Kay, we're here. Can I call you back? I promise we'll talk about this. I love you."

Kayla sighed deeply, then answered, "I love you too Steve."

The sound of little whimpers caught her attention, and Kayla moved to the end of the bed to see six little puppies pattering about the floor. "Hey, no piddles in the palace." She warned, and their mother Sasa nudged them back onto the little pad where they could go as they pleased. "Thank you." Kayla cooed. She looked from the puppies to her own stomach, unable to see her own feet. If only Steve was here. If only Steve could focus. He thought he had four more months, but Kayla wasn't so sure.

A voice came from the tablet on the desk, "Kayla, pick up please."

The blonde woman moved to look at the tablet, seeing Princess Shuri on the other end. "What's up Shuri?"

"I want to check up on you and the baby. Can you meet me at my lab?" The girl requested with a smile.

"I guess I can do that," Kayla mumbled as she wandered to her closet, pulling out a loose dress to wear over her large belly. She slipped into flat sandals, then made her way out the door, Zawadi leaping to his feet from his bed near the door to follow her.

Over the past four months, Kayla had come to think of the Wakandan palace as her own home, even if she lived there without Steve. It wasn't what they had planned.

Three years.

Steve had three years to do what he felt he had to, then the pair would settle down and have a family. They'd considered Wakanda, because Kayla was rather fond of the country, but also Brooklyn, because even they could blend into the big city if they tried hard enough.

Those plans had felt so distant as they traveled the world, wiping the last traces of Hydra and Ultron and The Battle of New York off the map.

 _We are halfway there. Less than two years until we are done._

Kayla would whisper to herself in the bathroom mirrors of the roach motels they often found themselves in. Sam, Natasha, and Steve worked like a well-oiled machine, and Kayla would often run point in the distance, having lost her desire to be in the line of fire. She'd leave the fighting to the professionals.

Zawadi trotted eagerly by Kayla's side, protecting his owner and her precious cargo as she made her way out the door to get transportation to Shuri. Ayo was standing outside, guarding the palace when Kayla approached. The Dora Milaje warrior smiled at the blonde, and Kayla returned the sentiment.

"What brings you out and about this early Mrs. Rogers?" Ayo asked easily, letting her demeanor soften a bit at the woman's presence.

Kayla sidled up next to the woman and they looked out toward the open field before them, "Shuri has asked for me to come to the lab. I think she's worried about me."

Ayo's eyes turned slightly to size Kayla up without moving her head, "Perhaps its because you grow bigger every day."

"Rude." Kayla barked back playfully, her brows furrowed but a small grin defying her anger. She sighed, rubbing her stomach, "I suppose we shouldn't have been surprised, two people with super soldier serum in our veins. There were bound to be complications. Rapid development makes perfect sense when you consider that the serum causes cell manipulation, rapid healing, and muscle growth, so in theory, it would be strange if it _didn't_ result in the rapid growth of the fetus-"

Kayla rambled on, not noticing that Ayo was fully facing her now, staring at her with blank eyes. The Dora was a brilliant woman, but she was no scientist, and she wasn't interested in Kayla's findings. Her job was to protect the throne, and the company of the King.

"Get in, I'm taking you to the princess." Ayo finally said, gesturing to the transport with her vibranium spear. Kayla shut her mouth quickly and followed Zawadi to where the woman had gestured.

"Did we not have dinner only three nights ago Kayla? You've grown another three inches since then!" Shuri hollered as Kayla entered her lab, shaking her head with a snort.

"Isn't that why you brought me here?" She answered, giving the younger woman a hug before heaving herself onto an examination table.

Shuri studied her movements, "Interesting."

Kayla's head snapped to look at the scientist, "What's interesting?"

"You are both agile and strong because of the super soldier serum, however, it seems that you are struggling to move more than usual."

"Maybe it's because I'm pregnant." Kayla deadpanned.

Shuri turned her beads on her wrist before opening up a holographic screen above Kayla as the blonde laid flat on the table. "Yes, but I think the baby is feeding off of your super soldier serum. I only wished you had come to me right away when you got pregnant so we could begin taking tests immediately. It's so fascinating. What if the child has the serum? Can it be passed on through genetics? If only one of you had the serum would it still be passed down?"

"We weren't exactly planning on it," Kayla grumbled, staring up at the screen above her as Shuri looked through the data. "We weren't planning on starting a family until we settled down and finished the mission."

"Accidents happen, especially when you are traveling, and aren't on birth control." Shuri stopped playing with the screen to sneer playfully at her friend. "Where were you when the little one was conceived?"

Kayla thought for a moment, going through the timeline in her head, "Spain. A bunch of punk kids had gotten a hold of an Ultron suit through the internet. Nat and Sam were out running surveillance. We hadn't been alone in eight weeks. Steve didn't tell me the condom had broke until after I started suspecting I might be pregnant."

Shuri considered this for a moment, "It's not like him to keep things like that from you. It's not very honorable."

Kayla shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips, "I think he didn't want to scare me. I also think he knew that he was more scared than I'd be. He's... struggling with it." Kayla confided, turning her head to meet Shuri's glistening eyes, "Just because you want something doesn't mean you are ready for it."

"Well, he better get ready quick, because this baby could come any day."

"Come again?"

Shuri moved the screen so Kayla could look at her vitals as she moved to sit up again, "Everything is developing at a rapid pace, as we had suspected, but according to my research, you are about at full term. This baby could literally come any day now."

"Steve isn't here. It's only been five months." Kayla blurted, realizing that wouldn't stop her from delivering their child.

Shuri turned off the screen and took a step back so Kayla could slide off the table, "Then he better get back soon if he doesn't want to miss the birth of his child."

Kayla's head began to spin as she considered what that would mean. Thanos was coming. Thanos was coming for the Infinity Stones. Infinity Stones? Like the one Vision had in his head. Vision had already been attacked. Steve couldn't leave. Not now. The world was in danger. She'd just have to pray that they could solve the issue of this "Thanos" quickly so her husband could come home. For good.

"Thank you Shuri." Kayla hugged the girl again, then turned to leave.

"I'm sure I'll see you sooner than you think. Any day now Kayla."

Zawadi's claws pattered toward the transport, but when they got there, Kayla turned back to Ayo. "Can you take me to the horses, please? I'd like to take a ride."

"Are you sure your horse can hold you?" Ayo laughed back.

Kayla looked down at her belly, a grim smile on her face, "Then I'll take Steve's horse."


	73. Chapter 73

"You sure it's safe to be up there on that thing?"

Kayla snorted at the Seargent's condescending words as she trotted up to the farm hut where Barnes was feeding his goats. She pulled Steve's large brown horse to a stop as Zawadi began to growl at the man. Two children, who liked to watch Barnes, ran from their spot near a large acacia tree to greet Kayla and her dog. At their approach, Zawadi put his teeth away and began to lick their faces. Kayla smiled fondly down at the children, "Since when is anything we do safe?"

Bucky offered up his right hand, cursing himself for not being able to fully help her off the horse due to his lack of arm. "You're carrying _Steve's_ child. You need to take care of it."

"I'm fully aware of that fact," Kayla responded as she dismounted easily without the man's help. Once on the ground, the boys each took a side and grabbed her around the torso in a loving hug. Kayla smiled sweetly at them before turning her attention back to the soldier before her. "And it's not me you have to worry about. I'm not the one with a dangerous job."

"Steve will be careful."

"Bucky."

"Okay, Steve's never really 'careful' but he'll come home to you in one piece. He always does." Bucky emphasized the word 'careful' because they both knew Steve was as reckless as he was noble. He turned his attention to Zawadi, who stood next to the kids, teeth bared at Bucky, "He still doesn't like me."

"He thinks you're a threat. And to be honest, he doesn't like most men who aren't Steve." Kayla admitted, patting his head to distract the dog from his mission of protecting her.

"Why are you here?" The man asked, changing the subject.

"Shuri thinks I could have the baby any day. Steve thinks I'm not due for another four months." Kayla answered thoughtfully, pulling her messy hair over her shoulder. "I'm scared he won't be here. He's very distracted right now."

"Why?" Bucky asked, squinting as he looked at the tall blonde.

Kayla sighed deeply, lifting her nose to the air to hold back the tears that she didn't know why she was crying. "Because it's Steve. And he's putting the greater good first, as he does. As he always does. And I can't be mad that he wants to save the world right?"

Bucky chuckled, pushing a hand through his greasy long hair, "The punk has never known when to walk away from a fight. But he means well."

"Yeah, that's the worst part. He's trying to make the world a better place for our children, and he'll miss their childhood in the process." Kayla mumbled as she kicked at the dirt, "Am I selfish for wanting him home?"

"Not at all. I wish he'd come home too."

Suddenly the sound of an approaching transport distracted the pair, and Zawadi barked, startling all of Bucky's goats.

"I've got to finish feeding them," Bucky said quickly, turning and hoisting a big heap of hay to move toward where the sheep had scattered.

Kayla kept pace with him as he moved closer to his hut until she realized it was T'Challa and Okoye who were making their way toward them. "Bucky." Kayla hissed, getting the man's attention away from the animals. The children scampered off, knowing that the king's presence meant they probably shouldn't be around.

Without saying a word, two Wakandan soldiers sat a large grey case on a pile of hay and clicked it open before walking away. Bucky silently walked up to see what the case held. He looked wearily down at the contents, seeing a high-tech vibranium arm. The Wakandan people had healed him, then left him in solitude to recuperate. For the King himself to have brought this gift, it meant they needed him for something, and it filled the soldier with dread.

Kayla stood a ways back, but she stared at the arm bitterly. Much like Barnes, she knew what that arm meant. Wakanda wasn't asking for Bucky's help. Steve was.

Without looking up from the arm, Bucky asked, "Where's the fight?" His jaw was tight into a frown, he wasn't happy. He was tired of war, but war never stopped. It always came knocking and he was always behind the door.

T'Challa watched him sympathetically before answering, "On its way."

Kayla's head snapped quickly in his direction, "On its way?"

The King nodded once, then began moving away from Seargent Barnes, "Come with us, we'll have the arm attached. They should be here within the hour."

"The people we're fighting?" Kayla interjected, cutting off any words Bucky may have tried to say. She paled and her stomach churned, suddenly seeing her family's future disintegrate into dust before her very eyes. They were coming. It had to be Thanos. This Thanos was coming here.

"No Kayla, you're husband is on his way. And he'll most likely lead the battle here as well." T'Challa explained, and Okoye nodded toward the transport for the pair to join them.

"Take her horse back to the stables, Kayla and Seargent Barnes will be coming back with us," Okoye ordered to one of the soldiers while the other helped Kayla up a step. Once on the transport, she dropped one hand to rest on Zawadi's large head, letting his panting calm her nerves. Bucky stood at her side and after a moment he placed his right hand around her shoulder, holding her steady as they began to move back toward the palace.

"This is bad isn't it?" Kayla whimpered, the wind blowing her hair over her shoulder.

Bucky nodded thoughtfully, "Seems like it."

Kayla finally turned to face her husband's best friend. They had a strange friendship, because both knew, without ever saying it, that in a different life they probably would have been together. And in the last four months, while Steve had been away, it was Bucky who kept Kayla company, telling stories that she'd never heard and shed some light on the man Steve used to be. It was comforting, having someone she related to, someone who didn't put the fate of mankind above everything in their life. It was their complete devotion to Steve that not only led to them being close but also pushed them apart.

Kayla wasn't bitter in her life with Steve, but she wouldn't tell you it was easy. The greatest things in life never were. The price she paid for his love was his conscience, and how he just couldn't walk away from a fight.

"So what kind of fight are we looking at here?" Bucky asked T'Challa as the palace came into view.

"A kind none of us have ever faced before. Captain Rogers has advised me to prepare for war. We hope you'll join us." T'Challa looked to Bucky, and he received a nod in return.

"I don't have anything else going on."

Kayla smirked at that, imagining Bucky alone, with his goats, day after day while she was with Steve and Nat and Sam. She didn't visit Barnes too often, but he seemed to enjoy the company when she did. He didn't mind the children, but they weren't great conversation for him.

"Kayla, you should get some rest. You don't look well." T'Challa informed his old friend, and she growled at him quietly.

"You know I can't just sit back and wait... not if it's as bad as you're saying-"

"The Captain won't have you anywhere near the battlefield. Not in your condition." T'Challa argued, seeing Kayla's resolve harden and knowing she never did anything she didn't want to.

"I never said anything about fighting, but I'll find some way to help." Kayla bit back, and she looked at Bucky for support, but his dark eyes were trained on the palace ahead as they landed, and the battle before them.

"Help Shuri with Seargent Barnes's arm. They should be here soon." T'Challa ordered as they stepped off the transport and made their way toward the palace.

Shuri wasn't set up in her lab that day, but rather in a large room overlooking the sprawling grasslands of Wakanda. Ayo led Kayla and Bucky to her as one of the soldiers carried the case with Bucky's new arm just behind them. When Shuri saw Kayla, their eyes met for a moment, and the Princess seemed to give her friend a silent apology. Kayla knew that she wouldn't get Steve's attention to explain the situation they found themselves in, and that put her and her baby at great risk.

"Take a seat." Shuri directed to a short, flat surface nearby so Bucky's shoulder was at arm's level for her, "Kayla, fetch me the arm, please. Seargent Barnes, this won't hurt a bit."

"Wouldn't matter if it did." He grumbled, no joy found in his face.

"Once the arm is on, you'll be able to wear it permanently if you'd like. Perhaps you'd like to take a shower before your boyfriend shows up." Shuri jested and Kayla elbowed her in the side. "What! I don't know who loves Captain Rogers more, you or him."

"We love him very differently." Bucky offered, and the shit eating grin on his face caused Kayla to turn scarlet.

"Speaking of cleaning up..." Kayla trailed off, looking down at the dingy clothes she'd worn out that morning. " I think _I'll_ get cleaned up before _my_ husband arrives."

"Fine. Go. I can do this faster without you." Shuri winked at the blonde, and Kayla took it as a sign to go. She led Zawadi back to their bedroom, and when she opened the door, she was attacked by six little puppies.

"Hey, darlings." She cooed as she looked down at them, unable to bend over far. "I need you to be good today, okay? Be good for Sasa." The female dog snoozed quietly on her bed, worn out from taking care of her litter. Zawadi, a proud father if there ever was one, began to play with the little dogs, keeping them occupied while Kayla made her way to the shower.

She turned the water on as hot as she could, and carefully stepped into the falling rain. She let the water rush over her messy hair, not even bothering to shampoo it. She felt the baby moved in her stomach, sensing the chaos outside her womb. A single tear fell from her eye and mixed with the water as she let it pound her face.

"It wasn't supposed to be this way." She whispered to herself, reminding herself that things weren't bad by design. No, she was just the victim of circumstance, and her circumstance was about to get even worse.

She swallowed thickly, trying to prepare herself for whatever horrors awaited her family. Her husband, her friends, her _family._ If she wasn't pregnant, she'd be there, beside them, running into battle. She would be beside her Steve until the very end, and if he met his end, she probably would too. Was this it? Was this the moment she feared almost constantly for the past five years?

A loud knock woke her from her daze.

"They are here," Ayo called loudly from the other side of the door before moving on to catch up with the rest of the Dora Milaje.

Kayla turned off the water, and slowly left the shower, letting the cold air hit her like a freight train. She toweled off and wrapped the large black sheet around her as she moved to her closet, picking out a pair of stretchy black pants and a long-sleeved black shirt. She sat on the bed and groaned as she began to pull on her black boots over her swollen feet. Pregnant or not, she had to be prepared. For anything.

She was prepared to lock the dogs in her room, but Zawadi ran out the door, sensing he was about to be left behind. Kayla watched him sadly, "No Zaddi, stay here. Please." She pulled the dog by the harness back into the room and closed the door, exhaling deeply before she left.

As she neared the doors, she saw Bucky walking toward the passengers of the landed quinjet. Before she could even catch a glimpse of Steve, she saw Wanda guiding an injured Vision behind several guards into the palace.

"Wanda!" Kayla cried, moving quickly toward her friend. When the psychic saw her, she moved from Vision's side just a moment to embrace the blonde in a deep hug before pulling away and gesturing toward her boyfriend. Kayla looked him up and down, noticing the tear in his side that he held gingerly. "What the hell happened?"

"Thanos sent his men for the stone." Vision offered, pointing to his forehead, "Captain Rogers is hoping that they can remove it without causing any damage to my mind."

Kayla considered this, tilting her head to the side in thought, her damp hair draping across her shoulder, "It's possible. You are made up of several different components. It's worth a try I guess."

The guards gestured for the couple to follow them, taking their attention away from Kayla. "Congratulations, by the way, Mrs. Rogers." Vision said quietly with a nod before leaning into Wanda and making their way toward where Shuri had set up her work.

Kayla's chest heaved, nervous to see her husband. This threat, this Thanos, must have been very powerful if his henchmen were strong enough to injure Vision. Nobody could hurt Vision, he had the power of an Infinity Stone. But one Infinity Stone didn't have much power compared to many. How could a kid from Brooklyn stop that?

 **Author's Note: Ya'll I just wrote the fight against Thanos in Wakanda and my soul is kind of broken. We're in the endgame now (No pun intended) I'll try to have through Infinity War up by the time the new movie comes out. I feel very strongly that the movie will go against a lot of what's set up in this story so I want to have it set up how I see it before seeing what Endgame brings. Please review and know that I'm sorry for the sad chapters that are coming up. Also the few flashback chapters but they give some nice insight I think. Thank you all for sticking by me while I went on hiatus. But here we go.**


	74. Chapter 74

**Five Months Earlier**

"Sam and I are going to do some surveillance around the gang's hangout. We'll be back by twenty-two hundred." Natasha informed Steve as she flung a cream colored leather backpack over her shoulder. "Try not to get into too much trouble while we are gone." Sam loaded his handguns, carefully storing them into his bag so he'd be prepared for danger. He looked up from his work to meet Steve's eyes, then turn to Natasha.

"I think we'll find the trouble there." He mumbled, securing his glove as he reached to open the door, holding his arm out to usher Natasha out of the room.

"We'll stay in the room. Work on a plan of attack for tomorrow." Steve answered, unlocking his dirty boots as he sat on the bed. Kayla had procured them a decent hotel room for their mission in Spain, Tiffany calling in a favor to an old friend of the pair without saying who was actually staying there. For the first time in ages, they weren't in a roach motel, and all four couldn't wait for a shower and a good nights sleep.

By going out to survey the area, Natasha and Sam had secured the ability to sleep in the next morning but gave the married couple some much needed alone time.

After Sam locked the door behind them, Steve moved from the bed to the desk, Kayla handing him a large sketch pad from the large duffel she was in charge of lugging around. After flipping it to a blank page he looked up to see Kayla handing him a pencil to begin working.

"Thanks Kay." He offered as he took the pencil from her, beginning to sketch the area they would sneak through to get back the Ultron sentry that a young gang had come into possession of. It should be an easy mission, sneak in, get the robot out and get out. Kayla would set up base in the hotel room, Natasha and Sam would go in and Steve would deal with the punks if they interfered. The group had seen far worse threats in their time in the Avengers, but they were only human, so they had to lay low, and work more with stealth than force. Much to Kayla's dismay, Steve had become very comfortable with espionage, something she never thought she'd see from him. She never thought the soldier could hide in the shadows and lie. He'd become so good at lying because he had to, and she hated it.

"I'm gonna go take a shower. You could always join me. If you want." Kayla mumbled, knowing full well she'd be alone. It had been a hard couple of months, moving from country to country, bartering for places to stay and food to eat. The honeymoon phase had long worn off, and the harsh reality had set in.

That first night in Wakanda, Steve loved that woman like he wouldn't live to see the next day. And they made love all through the night, and all through their honeymoon in Argentina, and every moment they had alone for the first ten months of their marriage while on the road.

But things changed.

Slowly at first, they didn't realize that work was taking over. Kayla became restless, and Steve became focused. They both saw the end in sight and became obsessed with finishing the job. Almost one year down. Two to go. They were still very much in love, but they rarely had the chance to show it. In fact, Steve's quiet demeanor and determination to finish what he'd started caused Kayla to doubt it.

That was nine months ago. So when Kayla invited her husband to join her in the shower, she fully expected to clean up alone.

So she was caught by surprise when the shower curtain was suddenly ripped open, revealing Steve naked and ready to join her.

She couldn't hide her grin as she took him in, eyes scanning from his face to his strong chest, down his chiseled abs and beyond. "I didn't think you were coming." She admitted as Steve climbed over the wall of the tub to join his wife, wrapping his large arms around her.

"I asked Nat and Sam to go out tonight. The surveillance is done, I just wanted to get you alone. It's been far too long baby." Steve began to kiss her neck as his hands ran gently down her sides, finding a resting place on her ass as he pushed them under the water.

Kayla found his lips with hers and kissed him passionately, grabbing onto his long hair as she held his face hostage against hers. She bit at his lip as he moaned into her, grinding her for a moment before she jumped up and wrapped her muscular legs around his torso.

"Do you want to go to the bed or stay here?" Steve purred to Kayla as she took a deep breath of air.

"The bed. Do you have-"

"Already on the bedstand."

Kayla laughed outwardly, the water drowning the grease out of her long locks, "You really did plan this didn't you?"

"Yes. I've missed you. I've missed making love to you." Steve admitted, placing a gentle kiss on her collarbone as she leaned away from him, turning the knob to turn off the water.

"It's about damn time Rogers."

Steve carried his wife to the bed she'd claimed earlier, and threw the blonde onto the mattress, climbing on top of her. She reached onto the bedstand and opened up the condom, not in the mood for any foreplay. Steve may have planned to have the room to themselves, but Sam and Natasha wouldn't be gone forever, so they'd better hurry up to get a few rounds in.

"I only have the one," Steve mumbled as he ran his large hand over her breast, eyes following his own movements to avoid her gaze.

Kayla shrugged slightly, a coy smile painted across her features, "Well then it's a good thing we can make one round really count."

Lust overtook the soldier and his wife that January night in the little Spanish town. Steve Rogers was normally a gentleman, but not tonight. With practically indefinite stamina, the two made love for hours without end, until Kayla finally surrendered to the Captain, and playfully locked herself in the bathroom to take a real shower.

It was in her absence that Steve realized perhaps the pair had gone too far without a break because the condom he'd been so determined to procure had broken sometime along the way. Panic began to set in, how could he admit to his wife he hadn't been careful? They weren't ready to have children. It wasn't time. She'd be so angry at him. He was scared of the prospect of being a father. He wasn't ready.

Steve decided to wait and see if anything came from that night, and not worry his wife unnecessarily. If she wasn't pregnant, then she'd never need to know and he could learn from his lesson. And if she did become pregnant, then he'd somehow make it up to Kayla.

But Kayla knew, because Steve wasn't the first man she'd slept with, and she knew when the condom broke, even if her husband didn't notice. She could have said something, but she didn't. Whatever was meant to happen would, and she'd greet the truth when it came.

That truth came two weeks later when her period hadn't come and her already large appetite became impossible to quench. It was in an old hotel in Bangkok that Kayla finally did a pregnancy test. Then a second one just to be sure.

"Steve... can I talk to you for a second?" She asked as the team was about to move out, preparing to meet with an ex- Hydra agent in order to broker a deal for intel on their activities.

"Can it wait? We're going to be late if we don't leave soon?" Captain America answered, pushing back his long unruly hair while he looked around for his left glove.

"Steve..." Kayla trailed off, trying to get him to focus on her for a moment. Natasha and Sam were already by the lobby bartering for transport to the meet. "Steve I'm pregnant."

Suddenly everything stood still for the couple. Steve's jaw quivered as he stopped pacing and turned to face his wife, who was holding the little white stick in her hand as proof. His emotions flooded his mind like bolts of lighting.

Fear. Guilt. Excitement. Love.

"You're- pregnant?" He repeated quietly, moving to his wife to look at the rest. The little plus sign was burned into his mind forever. He looked up, meeting Kayla's emerald eyes, "I'm going to be a father?"

Kayla nodded, her own apprehension melting away as Steve's happiness began to grow. "Yes. Yes, we are going to have a baby!"

Steve grabbed Kayla by the hips and lifted her, spinning her around easily before setting her back down and embracing her tightly. "I'm gonna be a father." He repeated, trying to wrap his head around the concept. But then, in his great joy, he remembered his deceit. "Kayla... I have to tell you something..."

"What is it, Steve?" She prodded, already knowing the reason behind her insemination.

"The condom broke. In Spain. I didn't want to scare you so I didn't say anything. I should have, and I'm sorry. You trusted me to use protection and I failed us." Steve hung his head, hand still sitting on Kayla's hip to keep her close.

She lifted his chin so his blue eyes met hers, smiling comfortingly at him, "I'm not upset Steve. Accidents happen, and this is a beautiful accident. We are going to have a baby, and be a family. Darling, I know it's not what we planned, but I'm excited. Are- are you?"

"Of course!" Steve answered quickly, wrapping her in his arms again. "Of course I'm excited, I'm just... nervous, that's all."

"Me too, but we'll figure it out. Together." Kayla assures her husband, bending down to scoop up the missing glove from its spot on the floor. "Now go to work, honey. We'll talk more about this later."

As Kayla watched her soldier leave, she noticed, for the first time in quite a while, that he hesitated and looked back over his shoulder, a brilliant smile beaming beneath his scruffy beard. He was _happy._ And despite the dangerous life they were living at the moment, Kayla could finally see her happily ever after on the horizon.


	75. Chapter 75

After Wanda and Vision were escorted to see Shuri, Kayla finally reached the doors leading to the tarmac where the quinjet had landed. She pushed open the door and let the sun hit her face, feeling its warmth tenfold from earlier because her heart and soul were complete again.

Steve was home.

Kayla could feel a weight lift from her chest at the sight of him embracing Bucky. His brilliant smile fought past his long beard, clearly, he hadn't shaved since she saw him three months ago. His Captain America uniform held little resemblance to its former glory, he hadn't attempted to keep it nice as Kayla had. Since leaving Kayla in Wakanda three months ago, Steve had let his appearance go, focusing on his work to finish what he'd started quickly, to go home and start his family. He looked disheveled but happy to see his best friend.

Then he looked up, peering past Bucky when the blonde caught his eye. When Steve and Kayla's eyes met, it took her breath away, like they were seeing each other for the very first time. Her long hair sad limp over her shoulder as it dried, her jaw set in a hard line, trying to hold back tears of happiness. This wasn't the time. _They didn't have time_.

"Kay-" Steve started as he leaped toward her, grabbing her by the hips and lifting her easily into the air to spin her quickly before placing her back down and capturing her lips in his, soaking her in. He placed his right hand against her face and his left on her lower back, holding her tight as he kissed her on that tarmac. Finally, he pulled away as she gasped for breath, unable to speak. Before she could return his greeting, he stooped quickly to one knee, placing a gentle hand on her stomach. "How's the baby?"

"Baby is doing great." Kayla squeaked out, filled with emotion. Seeing Steve so happy in the face of what was to come broke her heart. She wanted nothing more than to take him away and protect him from the incoming threat.

He stood again, his gloved hands quickly finding themselves in her hair again as he gazed longingly into her green eyes. "I swear, on my life by the time this child comes the world will be safe for them to live in. And I'll be there. We just have to get through today." At that Kayla grabbed him roughly be the beard and yanked him back to her mouth, her tongue begging for entrance before she heard someone clear their throat behind Steve.

"Cap."

The two pulled away from their kiss to look at the voice, seeing Sam, Natasha, T'Challa, and Banner standing nearby watching.

Sam took a step forward as if to get their attention back to the matters at hand, "I-"

"Want a chance to say hello to my goddaughter too." Natasha interrupted, passing the pilot to greet her friend, giving Kayla a one-armed hug before kneeling to place a gentle hand on her belly. "Little Natasha"

"You're goddaughter? Don't you mean my godson?" Sam retorted. He crossed the space and gave Kayla a weak hug as Natasha stood, the two clearly trying to comfort her in this desperate time. Natasha could see something she knew Steve didn't realize. In the three months that they were gone, Kayla's pregnancy had progressed far faster than normal, and that baby would be sooner than they had hoped.

"Hey Miss Ellis."

Kayla looked up, meeting Bruce's gentle smile. She beamed at him, a smile that he thought he'd never see again. It had been so long since he'd last seen the socialite turned super soldier. "It's Mrs. Rogers now."

The two embraced deeply, Kayla stifling a tear as Bruce patted her back. "Where the hell have you been?" She hissed in his ear.

"Space. Thor found me actually. Apparently, I was the Hulk for two years." He explained dully before looking down, "Clearly I've missed a lot."

Kayla smiled brightly again, happy to see she could bring some light to the impending darkness. "I know right? Baby's coming soon."

"In just a few months we'll have a little one to take care of," Steve said proudly, catching the doctor's attention. Natasha and Sam shared a glance, knowing now Natasha's hunch had been correct. Steve still thought he had more time.

"A few months?" Bruce asked incredulously, looking from Kayla's stomach to the Captain. "How many are you expecting?"

"Just one," Steve answered simply, his brow furrowing in confusion before realization dawned on him. "Oh God."

"Have you been seeing a doctor?" Banner prodded as they began to walk towards the transport that would take them to Shuri's lab near the border. They needed to see when the threat arrived.

"Of course I have, they have some of the best doctors in the world. No offense." Kayla bit back with a shrug, not meaning to hurt her former idol but seeing he was about to make the situation worse.

"How far along _are_ you?" Bruce pressed, picking up his pace to keep up with the long legged woman.

She rolled her eyes before answering, growing tired of Bruce's questions. They had bigger problems than her super baby. "Five months."

"You look full term."

"I'm aware of that. The baby could come any day. Now can we please stop talking about this. We have bigger issues." Kayla snapped, then looked from Bruce to Steve, sighing deeply. "Don't look at me like that." Once she was on the transport she allowed Steve to hold her arm steady as they prepared to move.

Steve just gawked at her, unable to find the words he wanted to say. "I didn't realize."

"I tried to tell you, you've been busy," Kayla answered with a shrug, suddenly wanting some space from the soldier. "As I said, there are more pressing matters. Thanos or whatever."

"This isn't a 'whatever' Kayla, Thanos intends to kill half of all living creatures across the galaxy. And he's coming here for Vision." Sam interrupted, catching his friends attention.

Kayla looked from Sam to Steve, then finally to Natasha. "Is it true?"

Natasha gave one slow nod as the group left the transport, "If we don't stop him from getting that stone, a lot of people are going to die."

"Fifty percent? One in two people just...die?" Kayla chewed on the words carefully. It wasn't that she didn't understand what they were telling her, its that she didn't understand how it became her family's responsibility to stop it.

"But we think there's a way to fix this. If they can remove the stone we think Wanda can destroy it. If Thanos doesn't get every stone he can't complete his task. We can do this." Bruce assured the girl, resting his hands on her shoulder. "I'm sorry for prying. I just want to make sure you are okay."

Kayla laughed.

A boisterous laugh that didn't belong in the quiet hall that Shuri had set up for their arrival. She threw her head back so her hair fell past her butt, her arms clutching her chest as she gasped for air. Finally, she lowered her head and took a deep breath, wiping a loose tear from her eye as she met the stunned stares of her friends and husband. "Am I okay? Am I _okay_ Doctor Banner? What do you _think?_ It's the end of the fucking world! And no matter what happens, whether we win against this Thanos or not, the price is too high. And once again, here I am to pay it." Kayla was shaking angrily, her blood pressuring spiking. Her emotions were getting the better of her.

Kayla took a deep breath, blowing the air out through pursed lips to calm herself down. She looked up at the tall doors, then swallowed hard, meeting Bruce's eyes with sadness. A silent apology and he smiled weakly to accept it.

The King smiled knowingly, for his old friend had spent much time in Wakanda. He was familiar with her mood swings, especially in the last months of her pregnancy. Especially when everything she said was true. "Let us go, I'm sure Shuri will have lots of questions for you all."

When the group arrived, they found Vision already on a table, Shuri running a scanner from her kimoyo beads over his whole body, lingering over his face to get the full scope of the stone in his head. After flipping over her hand a hologram of the Mind Stone appeared before her.

"The structure is polymorphic." Shuri studied the hologram, her mind already working on its removal.

Bruce watched the hologram as well, peering at it as he approached, "Right, we had to attach each neuron non-sequentially."

"Why didn't you just reprogram the synapses to work collectively?" Shuri questioned as she stared at Bruce wide-eyed, a judgmental smile playing across her features. Vision turned to Banner, waiting for his answer.

"Because... we didn't think of it," Bruce admitted, feeling outsmarted by the young girl.

"I'm sure you did your best," Shuri told the doctor reassuringly, the smile never leaving her lips.

Kayla held back a scoff, turning her face quickly when Bruce turned to look at her.

"Can you do it?" Wanda pressed, her patience running out. Kayla recognized that look in her eyes. The whole world hung in the balance, but she only cared for one man. It was a philosophy that Kayla had lived by the past four years with Steve Rogers. She'd light the world on fire itself if it kept that man safe. And she knew Wanda would do the same for her Vision.

Shuri knew it was a long shot, and she could see the hope in the redhead's eyes, but she couldn't lie, "Yes. But there are more than two trillion neurons here. One misalignment could cause a cascade of circuit failures." She turned from Scarlet Witch to T'Challa. "It will take time brother."

"How long?" Steve barked at the girl. Kayla shot him a dark look, threatening him to be short with her friend again, but Steve didn't notice. He needed answers.

"As long as you can give me." Shuri pleaded, knowing what rode on her success. If she failed...

Suddenly an alarm sounded on Okoye's kimoyo beads. She flicked it quickly, a globe appearing in her palm. Controlled fear flashed across her face, "Something's entered the atmosphere."

"Hey Cap, we got a situation out here." Sam's voice rang through the comms.

"What's happening?" Kayla growled at Steve as his fingers flew to the comm in his ear. "Let me have one, I want to hear what happening." Steve exhaled, opening a pouch on his belt to grab an extra comm for his wife. She grabbed it out of his hand before he could offer it, placing it in her ear with ease after all the years of missions together.

The spacecraft smashed into the dome protecting Wakanda's capital city. Kayla and Steve gazed out the massive picture windows in silence, watching the vessel explode into flames on impact. Kayla reached out and grabbed Steve's gloved hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

Three more spaceships swiftly arrived outside of the dome, destroying acres of forest and sending shockwaves into the dome itself. Kayla's free hand moved to cover her mouth in shock, suddenly _seeing_ the impending threat. Steve held her hand a little tighter and looked toward King T'Challa. He was unsure if they had the resources needed to hold off such a threat. They had brought Vision to Wakanda because they were the only people in all the world with the technology to save Vision. But he also brought the greatest threat he'd ever face to his expecting wife.

"It's too late. We have to destroy the stone." Vision groaned as he tried to stand, but Natasha cut off any other objections.

"Vision get your ass back on that table." The blonde stared at the android, then to Wanda, a silent promise to the girl. Wanda nodded, understanding that her friends were putting their lives on the line so she could save everyone. She had a job to do.

"We'll hold them off," T'Challa told the room as he made his way toward the door with his King's Guard.

Steve turned to look at Wanda, meeting her gaze with an order, "Wanda, as soon as that stone's out of his head, you blow it to hell."

"I will," Wanda promised. Her expression was blank. She had everything to lose today. A lot of them did.

T'Challa barked orders as he neared the door, "Evacuate the city. Engage all defense procedures. And get this man a shield."


	76. Chapter 76

Steve looked up grimly at the King, a firm nod his only response. With that, T'Challa and the others left, leaving only a small handful of people in the room to watch Shuri work.

"I'll stay and guard the princess. And Mrs. Rogers." Ayo declared, placing her spear firmly into the ground near where Shuri was setting up her work. She looked from Steve to Kayla, then tilted her head to get the woman to talk to her husband. Ayo knew that time was of the essence, she could see the attack beginning out the windows and they needed their Captain. Kayla had to say what she needed to now.

"I'll stay here and help Shuri with Vision."

All eyes fell on Kayla, not expecting that. Steve went to persuade her otherwise, but she cut him off. "I have to Steve. We have to get that stone out. I'm meant for more than sitting around and you know this. If I can't be on the battlefield with you, then I want to be here with Wanda and Shuri. They'll need all the help they can get. Maybe with an extra set of hands, we can get the job done faster."

Steve studied his wife, then looked toward Shuri and Wanda. The former was already working hard on preparing Vision for the extraction of the mind stone, but Wanda was studying Steve carefully, waiting to see his reaction. He grabbed her elbow gently and led her toward the door, pulling her just outside to speak with her in private.

"Kay-"

"You can't change my mind Steve, I'm not going to hide away. Not while you are out there, I need to help somehow-" Kayla pleaded, holding onto Steve's biceps for dear life, as if she may never hold them again. She stared at the blank star on his chest, staring blankly at his chest to avoid his eyes. She couldn't face his eyes. She couldn't say goodbye to his blue eyes.

"What if I wasn't out there?"

Kayla's head flew up at his words, confusion stiffening her jaw as it hung open loosely. "Steve?"

The soldier ran his hand over his mouth roughly, trying to figure out how to explain himself. "We could run. I could get you somewhere safe. They don't need me out there Kayla. Look at them." He motioned towards the large windows that could still be seen through the door. "I-I can't risk it. Not now. I don't want to fight."

"Steve-"

He placed his hands on his hips defensively, not waiting to hear Kayla's response, because he knew she'd agree with him. "It's a selfish thing. But I've never been selfish and seeing you... it makes me want to be selfish. I want our child to have both of its parents and if I go out there... I don't think I'll come back."

Kayla opened her mouth but he continued talking, eyes welling at the thought, "You've never thought twice about me. And now I'm putting you first. And...I'm scared." He finished, eyes hollow. It was the hardest confession he had to make. His conscious couldn't compete with his fear this time, and his sense of self-preservation overtook his sense of doing the right thing.

Kayla clamped her eyes shut, her lower lip quivering as she placed a strong hand on that blank star on Steve's chest. "You have to go."

The hollowness in Steve's eyes was replaced with confusion, and perhaps a hint of sadness at Kayla's words. "What?"

Without opening her eyes, Kayla inhaled repeated herself. "You have to go Steve. They need you. They can't do this without you."

"Kay-" His voice cracked as his knees buckled, but she moved her hand from his chest to his arms, holding him steady as she opened her eyes to meet his. "What if I die?" Kayla had never heard Steve's voice so weak, so fearful. She could hardly believe it was her husband before her, but she knew she was right.

"You won't." She said confidently. "You always make it out, no matter how high the odds are stacked against you. You are going to lead them to victory, and make the world safe for our little one." She pulled one of his hands to rest on her belly, smiling at him supportively as he swallowed hard. "I believe in you Steve. They _need_ you. The world needs Captain America."

She pressed her lips firmly onto Steve's, placing all of her faith in the Captain. He pushed back with his own lips, his own promise to come back for her.

"I love you, Kay."

"I love you too Captain."

He backed away from her, holding her hand as long as he could before he had to move away, and she watched him go down the hall toward where the others were gathering to collect his new shield.

Kayla returned to Wanda, Ayo, and Shuri, who had placed Vision on a table below to begin working on removing the stone. Wanda and Kayla met eyes, matching fear in their green eyes. As they watched each other, Kayla suddenly felt something wet dripping down her leg. Wanda sensed her surprised and both of their eyes dropped to see Kayla's pants soaked.

"Oh God-"

"My water just broke." Kayla finished, suddenly aware of the slight contractions she was feeling. How long had they been happening? Was she too emotionally distraught to even notice that she was about to give birth? More than likely, it was her intense pain tolerance that caused her to not even notice. She quickly ripped the comm out of her ear, turning off the ability for others to hear her, praying Steve wasn't paying attention to her at that moment.

Shuri looked up from her work to see that the two women were right. "This is terrible timing Kayla. I can't help you now."

A stronger contraction rocked her body, still less painful than getting run over by a car or getting shot at. "I'm aware of that Shuri. I fear I won't be much help to you though."

"It's fine, I know what I'm doing. You aren't much help anyway." Shuri jested, smiling into the orange hood in front of her jacket. "If you really need me, let me know.."

"No, get that stone out of Vision." Kayla groaned as Wanda helped her sit on the floor in front of the windows. She could see the carriers delivering the troops to the front lines, and through the mass of Wakandan warriors, she could see Steve, Natasha, and Bucky clear as day. "Please be safe."

* * *

"Let's go." Natasha told Steve and T'Challa, and the three of them made their way toward the two aliens waiting for them just beyond the barrier of Wakanda.

Steve set his sights ahead, pushing the thoughts of his wife to the back of his mind. The massive vessels pierced the sky, laying dormant for a moment, hiding its contents from the Avengers. There was no fear on Steve's face as the trio reached the edge of the battlefield. He was resigned to fighting this war, as he'd fought war after war before. But this time, he would go home for good.

"Where's your other friend?" Natasha taunted, happy to see one less adversary before them.

Proxima Midnight's face was stone cold and her voice was calm. Promising almost. "You'll pay for his life with yours. Thanos will have that stone."

"That's not gonna happen." Steve rebutted, eyes locked onto the creature before. He wouldn't let the monster see his fear. This was more than protecting the world, it was about protecting his family. Because if Thanos got that stone, and half of all life ceased to exist, there was a chance his wife and child could be part of that half.

"You are in Wakanda now, Thanos will have nothing but dust and blood." T'Challa challenged.

Proxima Midnight smiled before raising her sword, "We have blood to spare." At that, the ships opened up, and T'Challa, Nat, and Steve returned back to their troops.

Without turning, Bucky asked Steve, "Did they surrender?"

"Not exactly," Steve sighed, not in the mood for his friend's attempted humor. But in the face of certain death but he appreciated the effort.

Bucky turned to look at his best friend, eyes squinting in the sun, "You should be with your wife."

Steve tilted his head to Bucky, shooting him an annoyed look, "Don't you think it's a little late for that Buck?"

Barnes shrugged, turning back to the ships as the Wakandan warriors began to chant. "If someone's gonna die, Steve, it ought to be me. You've got too much to lose."

"She told me I needed to fight," Steve admitted, earning a curious look from Natasha. "She told me you all needed me."

"Eh, I guess you're alright," Nat admitted jokingly as thousands of snarling creatures reached the barrier, no thoughts, only bloodlust in their souls. They crashed into the shield, slaughtering themselves to get to the soldiers.

"What the hell?" Bucky muttered in shock, unable to comprehend the battle before him. He looked to Steve, who just stared ahead, a lump in his throat, and a feeling of dread he just couldn't shake.

* * *

Kayla had a perfect view of the madness unfolding before. Shuri kept herself busy and Wanda avoided the incoming battle, focusing on Shuri's work and Kayla. But Kayla couldn't tear her eyes away. The super soldier serum enhanced her hearing and her eyesight, and she could hear the battle cries and pick out Steve's dark blonde hair through the crowd.

Another contraction shot through her, eliciting a howl from the woman that startled Shuri a little. She shot a dirty look at the blonde before spatting, "The fate of the universe is in my hands, I _need_ you to be quiet!"

"Sorry-yy" Kayla whimpered, holding her stomach. The baby was coming. The baby was coming right now. She needed Steve.

Steve.

"Should we get your pants off?" Wanda asked cautiously, unsure what she could do to deliver the baby.

"On my signal, open North-West section seventeen." T'Challa's voice rang through the comm. Kayla froze, panting quietly.

"Requesting confirmation my King. You said to open the barrier?" A woman's voice asked.

"He's opening the barrier," Kayla informed the room, causing Ayo to turn and face her. "T'Challa is opening the barrier. They are letting the creatures in."

From her perch, Kayla saw Steve engage his vebranium shield on his arm, preparing for hand to hand combat. She held her breath, time barely existed as she heard T'Challa scream Wakanda Forever! He led the charge toward the shield protecting his country, and over the comms, Kayla heard him yell, "Now!"

The barrier opened a section and the hungry monsters flooded in. Steve flew through the ranks, past Okoye, past Natasha, and found a spot on the Black Panther's left. The two men leaped over a stream, fists flying as they landed amongst the Outriders.

Kayla turned her face from the window, unable to watch anymore. Tears flew opening from her red-rimmed eyes, pain radiating through her abdomen and emptiness settling in her heart.

"Kayla," Wanda started, kneeling beside her friend, "We need to deliver this baby."

Kayla shook her head violently from side to side, wincing as she had another contraction. "No... not now, I can't..."

"That's not your decision to make Kayla... you can't tell the baby to wait-"

Kayla breathed quickly through her mouth, eyes darting up to meet Wanda's thoughtful ones, "But you can."

"I don't know how to do that, I don't know if it'll work... what if I hurt him?" Wanda stuttered, looking to Shuri for some advice, but the genius was hard at work saving Vision.

"Wanda-Wanda you have to try. Please..." Kayla's smile grew, a thought dawning in her head, "It's a boy?"

Wanda realized she'd given something away. She looked out the window, seeing the slaughter begin. "I'll give it a try." She knelt beside the woman and place her hands gently on either side of her baby bump, closing her eyes as her red magic seeped into the pregnant woman's skin. Kayla's breath steadied, suddenly feeling her body relax at the witch's touch. Was it working?

Wanda leaned away, putting her hands at her sides to prop herself to her feet, "There. That should buy you some time. But not a lot. That child will come today."

Kayla shook her head from side to side, "I'll take what I can get. Thank you." Wanda reached out and grabbed the woman's hand, pulling her to her feet in time to hear Shuri yelp as she worked tirelessly.

"We've barely begun brother!"

"Well, you might want to pick up the pace!" T'Challa answered back, and Kayla pressed herself against the glass, trying to find her husband and friends.

"Wait... wait wait wait, look LOOK!" Kayla squealed, jumping up and down and pointing to the battlefield as a rainbow blasted from the sky and a metal object flew through the air, decimating some of the creatures nearby before returning to its owner. She squealed in delight as the dust settled and Thor stood in the burnt grass, brandishing an ax.

"I take it he's a friend," Ayo asked as Shuri continued to work, Wanda turning her full attention to saving her boyfriend now that Kayla was able to take care of herself.

"Yes. And now we can't lose."


	77. Chapter 77

With Thor on the battlefield, the tide began to turn. Steve found himself fighting near his old comrade and allowed himself a slight break from fighting to exchange pleasantries.

"New haircut?" Steve asked panting.

Thor threw Steve a contagious smile, motioning to his lower jaw, "Notice you copied my beard!"

Steve nodded as he gestured to his face with his shielded hand, looking down as he continued to breathe heavily.

"How is Lady Kayla?" Thor pressed, swinging his ax and sending one of the space dogs flying away.

Steve looked up in time to block an attack by another creature, stabbing it with his pointed shield, "She's my wife now. She's pregnant." He paused, then met Thor's beaming grin again. "Shit, I'm going to be a father."

"Language Captain." Thor jesting with a wink. "Oh, by the way, this is a friend of mine, Tree." He gestured toward Groot and Steve followed his glance to see the tree creature send his arm through several creatures.

"I am Groot!" The tree said.

"I am Steve Rogers."

* * *

Wanda had moved down below to stand with Vision as Shuri worked, the girl needing some time alone to focus now that the work was almost done. Kayla slowly walked down the path to the level below to join the redhead as she watched her love anxiously. Kayla grabbed her hand supportively, holding it tightly in her own strong grip.

"It's almost done, Wanda. Shuri almost has it out. Look out there, they are holding them off. We're going to win Wanda." Kayla assured the witch, but the redhead's face stayed stoic as her gaze moved from Vision to the battlefield. Kayla's eyes followed Wanda's as a rumbling was heard in the distance. Neither said a word until the ground started to move beneath the shield and once in the safety of the dome, large round wheels emerged from the ground, shredding everything in their path. At the sight, Kayla gasped and turned to Wanda who was looking apprehensively at Vision.

"Kayla-" Wanda started, but the super soldier's lip had already jutted out and the waterworks were flowing.

"Wanda please... they are getting slaughtered down there. You can save them. Please... Wanda..." Kayla cried, holding onto her friend's arms harshly, and the Scarlet Witch bit down on her tongue from the pressure Kayla was putting on her biceps.

"I need to destroy the stone. It's my job. The Captain told me to destroy the stone and if I leave, the Mind Stone is put in danger." Wanda explained cautiously, wanting to help her friends as much as Kayla did.

"I will make sure that stone gets out safely, then you get your ass back here and destroy it. Go and come back, it'll be fine." Kayla pushed, releasing her grip on Wanda's arm to gesture toward the large windows as the shredders split into more, flying wildly toward the soldiers.

"You'd put your husband above the safety of the whole world?" Wanda growled, standing near Vision, but Kayla could already tell her hands were lighting up with magic. It wasn't meant for her, it was meant to help her fly.

"I mean, yes, always, but I would also love for you to save Natasha!" Kayla said without looking at Wanda, pointing down toward the battlefield where the platinum blonde was fighting off several aliens at once.

Wanda didn't hear Kayla finish, because she was already gone, flying through the air to land right in front of her friend to grab onto the shredders with her magic, then throw them away from Nat and Okoye, flinging them onto the aliens behind her but avoiding the two women she'd jumped in to protect.

Kayla sighed, turning back toward Vision. He hadn't been talking, but he was conscious. "We're almost done. Wanda went to help, but she'll be back soon. As soon as the stone is out, we'll destroy it and everything's going to be okay."

"The future is not so certain Mrs. Rogers. It never was." Vision answered, his eyes still closed. Kayla watched him grimly, seeing the stone _so close_ to being free from him. Perhaps Kayla shouldn't have pushed Wanda to leave with so little time, but they were holding off the attackers. As long as the fight stayed in front of them, Shuri would continue working and Wanda would come back and destroy the stone and everything would turn out fine...

All of a sudden the sound of metal on metal upstairs stirred Kayla from her hopeful delusion. Vision's eyes shot open, but he did not move, just winced as Shuri continued away at her work, growing closer to saving him as the fighting closed in on her. Kayla looked up and saw Ayo fighting the alien, but Shuri met her eyes for just a moment and continued as much as she could before she had to give up.

"Vision, as soon as she shuts down the device, you need to fly away. Get as far away as possible, you aren't safe here." Kayla ordered, standing near the android bravely as heard Shuri begin to shoot at the creature closing in on her. "They don't know where you are, go now!"

Vision sat up, free from the machinery that had almost saved him from his fate. Kayla could hear both Shuri and Ayo throwing everything they had at their attacker. "Go, _now."_

The android moved quickly away just as Shuri and Ayo were thrown through the glass railing down to where Vision had been laying. Glaive jumped down from the upper floor and looked at the empty table and then his eyes fell on Kayla, who backed up quickly, tripping over her incapacitated friend and landing hard on her butt. As the alien closed in on her, Vision flew back, sending him flying through the window into the battlefield below. Kayla sprinted to the broken glass and looked down, seeing Vision fall into the trees.

"Somebody get to Vision!" Steve's voice cut through the comms and Kayla looked over her shoulder to see Shuri and Ayo knocked out on the ground. She checked both of their pulses and found them still alive. She needed to help them, to stay and protect them. But she knew they didn't need protecting. Thanos wouldn't come for them. Thanos would come for Vision. And Steve would protect Vision. Thanos would murder Steve.

 _I need to stay here. I need to stay here. Steve would want me to stay here._

But Kayla rarely followed orders.

She darted out the door to an elevator, passing a couple of guards along the way. "Princess Shuri is down, go to her." She ordered before taking their place near the elevator, pushing the button frantically. "Come on, come _on._ " The doors suddenly opened and she went inside, not prepared for how fast the mechanism would plummet once the doors closed. Moments later she was at the base of the mountain, and she had to figure out how to get onto the battlefield. "Think Kayla, think." She was practically in a basement, no windows, no doors, just the roar of war outside of the mountain's walls.

She listened, finding a weak spot in the rocks. It was when she heard Steve's voice yelling at Vision to go that she found the strength to get out. She backed up and used her shoulder as a battering ram, her hand holding onto her stomach protectively as she crashed through the rocks into the forest beyond. Her sense of self-preservation was often weak in the presence of the first Avenger, and this moment was no different. She rushed to Steve just as Corvus Glaive threw him over a log onto the ground. Glaive didn't even notice the pregnant woman as he began choking the life out of Steve, but before she could reach her husband, the monster before her was shanked by Vision, lifted up to die, then discarded away from the man she loved.

Exhausted from using whatever strength he had to save the Captain, Vision collapsed, but Kayla caught him, helping to keep him on his feet. As Steve stood, he shot Vision a pointed look, "I thought I told you to go."

"We don't trade lives, Captain." Vision answered weakly, eyeing his leader. He turned his head to the woman holding him, "Thank you. You shouldn't be here."

"No, she shouldn't." Steve snarled, his attention having fallen on his wife during the brief moment of calm. "What the hell are you thinking Kay? Get out of here."

"No. No I won't leave you. I'm here now. Look-" She gestured out toward the open field where almost every alien laid dead. "We've won, darling."

"We haven't won, the stone isn't removed, it isn't destroyed, there are hundreds more where that came from. What if something had happened to you? For once in your life Kay, think with your head instead of your heart. Get the hell out of here, find somewhere safe."

"No." Kayla growled back, planting her boots in the dirt before her husband. He was bleeding and she wanted to reach out and wipe it away, but she couldn't show any weakness, especially for him. "I'm here now. There's no safer place than with you."

"I need to get back to the battle Kay, you'll only be in the way."

"You're only saying that to hurt my feelings, you know I'm not going to leave. Nothing you say can make me leave you. We're are in this together. We live together, or we die together."

Steve scowled at his girl, trying to weaken her resolve, but it did nothing, so he tried a different approach, "Please. For the baby. Go back to the lab."

Wanda landed near Vision, sitting close to check on him as he began to wince in pain, the mind stone glowing as he reached for it. This caught the attention of the husband and wife.

"He's here."


	78. Chapter 78

**Four years earlier**

A loud knock resonated from the apartment door as Kayla washed the suds out of her honey blonde hair.

 _He's here._

Kayla didn't even finish washing the shampoo out before she practically jumped out of the shower, grabbing a large towel to wrap around herself as she sprinted toward the door. She took a deep breath and tucked the cream towel tightly under her armpit to secure it.

As she flung open the door, Steve moved briskly inside so she could close it quickly, keeping any curious eyes from seeing who was waiting outside the girls' door. It had only been two weeks since Steve had first arrived at her apartment on that Saturday morning, and they had spent almost every day together. But prying eyes followed the pair wherever they went, and the fewer people saw Steve outside that door the better.

"Sorry I'm late-" Steve stuttered as he realized she was only wearing a towel. Zawadi came bounding toward the man, jumping up on Steve before turning to his owner, causing Steve to grab onto his harness so he wouldn't undress her. "Should I come back?"

"No! No it's fine!" Kayla yelped, pressing her dainty hands against his chest as a goon of soap started falling down her cheek. "Just-give me a minute. I'll go finish showering and I'll get dressed. Just sit on the couch, Tiffany's gone out with friends so it's just us."

"Okay," Steve responded, leading the dog toward the couch as the chestnut beast tried pulling toward Kayla. She scampered into her bedroom and closed the door, and when he heard the water start he let the dog go. Zawadi trotted to her door and howled, wanting to be in the room with her. "Shhh, Zaddi." Steve comforted the dog, walking past the door. While Kayla was gone, he took the time to wander around, looking at the girls' stuff.

There was a framed photo of Kayla and Tiffany hanging on the wall, the two laughing as their legs swung off the side of a dock overlooking a lake. Steve took in the younger Kayla, she looked to be in her mid-teens. She was stick thin and flat chested, colored braces across her almost perfect teeth. Her arm was slung lazily over her smaller friend as her chin jutted out with laughter. Steve had never seen this Kayla, but he hoped maybe someday he would.

"That was the summer I turned sixteen. We used to spend the weekends at her mom's lake house upstate before she passed away. She was CIA like my mom. We've been close for as long as I can remember." Kayla explained as she sidled up next to Steve, her hands in the pockets of her large grey hoodie.

Steve nodded thoughtfully, "She died working?"

"Yeah. Mom had already gotten out several years earlier when I turned thirteen. Dad thought it was too dangerous and wanted to keep her safe for me. I guess he was right."

"You ever thought about following in your mom's footsteps?" Steve questioned as Kayla turned and made her way to the couch.

She scoffed, propping her bare feet up on the table. "Not a chance. My father would never allow it. He thinks I'm made of glass." Kayla met Steve's blue eyes as he moved to sit next to her on the couch, tilting her head back and forth before adding, "Maybe in another life. I always looked up to my mom. Her life seemed more exciting than Dad's. Politics... aren't really my thing."

Steve watched her carefully, considering his next words before speaking, "What... is your thing?"

"You mean what do I want to do with my life?" Kayla clarified, meeting his gaze, her own green eyes glistening with possibilities. "I love to travel. To meet new people and experience new things."

"So you want to be a socialite?"

"I already am darling." Kayla laughed at the soldier, placing her hand on his thigh, which he stared at for a second before realizing it wasn't going to bite him or invade him any more than it already was. He had become accustomed to the girl pushing his boundaries, and he was beginning to realize when she was pushing him and when she was just touching him, her favorite activity. His brief moment of panic was not lost on the woman, and she moved her hand from his thigh to hold his left hand before adding, "I'd like to help people. I'd like to think I'm meant for more than this. That's a big reason I like you Steve, you always think about other people. To a fault sometimes."

"It's in my blood I guess."

"Something like that." Kayla agreed, leaning toward the soldier before propping her chin upon his shoulder, "You want kids?"

Steve chuckled, "Yeah. I like kids. I think they are great. Haven't gotten to spend a lot of time around them though. But everything I do, in a way, is for them. Leave the world a better place for the next generation." He leaned into her lips and she gave him a kiss, "I'd like to think all this work could be for one of my own someday."

"Just one?" Kayla nudged his jaw playfully with her nose. "I've always wanted two or three. I imagine if I wasn't an only child, the pressure of being the President's daughter would be spread amongst the siblings. I'd want boys, girls make me nervous. If you can raise a good son, you don't have to worry about him later on. What do you want?"

"Look at you, planning your family tree already?" Steve laughed, his blue eyes glistening at Kayla's words, "I'm not too particular. Whatever happens, happens. However many the wife wants."

Kayla paused for a beat, but Steve didn't catch her hesitation before she continued her questions. "If you could go anywhere in the world, right now, where would you go?"

Steve turned his face to her, but he was almost touching her nose she was so close now. He looked out the window ahead, contemplating his options. "I guess I don't know." He answered quietly. "I just go where I'm needed. I don't really have a wish list."

"Argentina."

Steve leaned away from Kayla, trying to get a good look at her face as she lifted her jaw off of him. "Why Argentina?"

Kayla grinned, a shrug lifting her shoulders, "I've never been, and I bet it's beautiful. It's the first random place I've never been that comes to mind."

Steve chewed on her words for a few seconds, "That's an odd reason to want to go somewhere."

"Just because it's odd doesn't mean it's bad," Kayla argued, crossing her arms across her chest, but there was no malice in her voice.

"Is Coney Island still a thing?" Steve asked sheepishly, not wanting to sound too old to his girl.

Kayla beamed at him, her perfect smile taking his breath away. "Surprisingly yes. Did you go? When you were young?"

Steve laughed, his own smile matching Kayla's, "Yeah, something like that. I'd like to go again, see what it's like now. Maybe I won't throw up on the Cyclone."

"Not a roller coaster person?" Kayla inquired, loving any hint Steve gave her to the person underneath the shield.

"I... don't really know. It's been almost eighty years since I've ridden one. I don't get queasy anymore, I know that much." Steve replied, rubbing his thumb gently against her upper arm.

Kayla leaned closer to him, feeling the heat radiate from his body from her presence. "We'll go. We'll go to every amusement park in the whole world. Anywhere you want to go. We'll go together."

"I'd like that Kay." Steve pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her head. "I'd go anywhere with you."

She snorted, staring ahead, "First we'll have to leave this apartment."

"I don't mind this though. Just you and me. No distractions."

"If only we could stay this way forever. But reality calls. I'd happily spend the rest of my days on this couch with you." Kayla sighed. Then she wiggled away, and laid down across Steve's lap, nuzzling his upper thigh with her cheek. Her left hand found his kneecap and walked her fingers across it.

Steve's face began to heat because he couldn't ignore how close the girl was to his crotch. He breathed deeply, trying very hard to not to alert her to his nervousness. But she knew. She always knew.

"You know, you'll thank me for this someday. When you find the girl you're gonna spend your life with, you'll know what you want. What you like. What your limits are."

Steve looked down at the blonde, running his fingers through her wet hair. He was caught off guard by her words because it insinuated that she wouldn't be with him. He almost didn't want to ask. " _When_ I find that girl?"

Kayla's grim smile pressed against his thigh, and he felt her take a deep breath and exhale shakily. She was crying. Without turning to look at him she continued, "I really like you Steve, but I'm not the kind of girl you want. I can't erase who I am, what I've done. We can ignore it, but it doesn't make my past go away or the future set out before me."

"You know I don't care about your past Kay. I enjoy your company, and I like getting to know you. I feel like I know you pretty well." Steve argued, moving his fingers from her hair to her cheek where he caught a stray tear threatening to escape.

"You don't get it, Steve. Some girls you marry. Some you just love. Eventually, I'll lose you. And that scares me." Kayla was incredibly self-confident all of the time, and this brief crack in the facade shook Steve to his core. She didn't think she was good enough for him. He felt her shiver before she continued, "I'm not cut out to be a wife, to be a mother. All those dreams are just dreams Steve. I'm too selfish.

But that was the first moment that he considered the thing, that if he fell in love with the girl before him, could he marry her? Could he have a family with her?

Kayla, ever the optimist, was doubting they could last. She wanted him _so badly_. She'd never wanted someone more. She would never say the words out loud, at least not first, but she was falling in love with Captain America. That in itself was such a dilemma for her because she'd dated men for stature, for publicity, but never for love. She'd never felt so safe and comfortable. She'd never had something she was afraid to _lose._

But Steve Rogers needed a different type of wife. Not her.

Steve didn't respond to her fears, he just sat there, staring ahead blankly as he stroked her cheek. Finally, her fears lulled her to sleep, and Steve carefully wrapped his arms under her body and carried her to her bed. He sat beside her for a while, watching her sleep, and a dull ache in his chest told him to lay down and sleep beside her. But he couldn't do that. He was too much a gentleman, and he wasn't quite ready for that yet.

After a long while, Steve stood pulled the covers up to Kayla's collarbone to keep her warm, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple before turning off the light and closing the door.

As he stood outside her bedroom door, he thought about her words.

 _Some girls you marry. Some you just love._

And a pang in his heart told him she was wrong. Someday, if she still wanted him, he'd do both.


	79. Chapter 79

"He's here." Vision breathed as he looked around, panic plaguing his features as reality hit them. Wanda just stared at him. Unable to comprehend what was about to happen. What she would be asked to do. Thanos had arrived.

The wind picked up, and Steve looked to the sky as leaves began to blow, all thoughts of his wife and child pushed aside for a moment as he realized they were too late. Steve could feel the cold breeze blow his long hair, sending a shiver down his spine. He pressed his shielded hand against his ear, "Everyone on my position. We have incoming."

"Steve, I-" Kayla stammered, but Captain America barely moved his tight jaw to see her out of the corner of his eye. He was disappointed in her. "Steve-" She reached for his upper arm, but he pulled it away forcefully, turning to face her. His eyes were hard as they bore into her, his mouth a tight line. He was done arguing with his wife. Kayla's lower lip quivered at the sight, the wind blowing her hair across her face as Natasha and Sam arrived to stand near their Captain. Steve's gaze never broke from her green eyes, he didn't need to speak. A gentle sob broke through Kayla's chest, "Please... Please stay with me."

Nat looked around, laser focus on the incoming threat, but Sam stiffened at Kayla's words as she took several long strides toward the treeline away from the clearing. He knew Kayla wasn't asking Steve to stay with her and protect her. She was asking Steve not to die.

"What the hell?" Natasha asked as she looked around wearily, not ready to die today. T'Challa looked resigned as General Okoye showed the rarest sight: fear.

Once out of sight from the team, Kayla knelt down, holding her stomach protectively as the wind grew stronger in the direction of the rock wall she'd broken through. A spark grew into a dark grey cloud mixing with electric blue and lighting bolts. All of her research on Captain America correctly led her to deduce that Thanos had the Space Stone. Who knew how close he really was to wiping out half of all life. How many stones did he need? Were they just a stepping stone? Or was their broken band of Avengers the last stop?

And from the portal of death, he emerged.

Kayla grabbed onto her mouth, using every inch of her self control to stay quiet. Thanos was the most terrifying thing she'd ever seen. She'd seen footage from the Battle of New York. She was aware there were aliens. She'd felt sick at the sight of their grotesque figures as they tried to kill everyone. But Thanos, he was different. He towered above the Wakandan soil, battle armor protecting his purple body. His left arm, bearing a massive golden gauntlet, seemed to be as big as Kayla's whole body.

Kayla looked across the clearing, seeing Wanda and Vision clearly as the Scarlet Witch moved her hands in front of her, preparing her magic. Pure fear that Kayla had never seen haunted the girl's face, Vision just staring in disbelief. Kayla wished the super soldier serum hadn't given her such good hearing, because then she wouldn't have caught Wanda's terrified gasps.

Thanos simply stared at the small group standing between him and his goal. Mild annoyance at their presence, but no fear of a threat.

"Cap. That's him." Bruce stated simply as if they needed any clarification on who the monster before them was.

With the fate of the universe at stake, Steve Rogers engaged his shield, eyes never leaving the threat ahead. "Eyes up." He ordered as he began to move toward the Titan. "Stay sharp." Steve broke into a sprint toward Thanos, leaving Wanda and Vision on the rear of the battlefield near where Kayla hid.

"Stay." A voice barked at the pregnant woman, and she looked up to see Bucky Barnes run up to her, pushing her back down as he paused, both watching as Thanos caused the Hulkbuster to float through him and become entangled in rock behind the Titan. "Don't interfere." He snarled again as Steve was thrown mercilessly through the air by a burst of purple from the gauntlet, somersaulting before slamming hard into the ground. She wanted nothing more than to bolt toward her husband, to cradle him and protect him, but she was no match for Thanos. It was then that Kayla saw, as Barnes ran toward the monster, that Thanos had five stones, one across each finger of the glove. The Mind Stone was his last stop.

T'Challa leaped through the air, ready to slash Thanos, but the Titan simply grabbed him with the gauntlet and thrust a punch against him, knocking him into the Earth as the energy from the Black Panther suit dissipated.

Falcon flew toward's Thanos, guns firing, but suddenly lost altitude as his wings stopped working, turned to jelly as he fell and rolled in front of the monster's feet as he continued his walk toward Vision.

Kayla stood, but Okoye and Natasha each shot her a threatening glance as they surged forward. And then for Kayla, time froze, her heightened senses seeing the end of the world with devastating clarity.

"Wanda. It's time." Vision stated, and Kayla turned away, knowing what was coming next. She could hear her friend softly fight against her love, pleading for another way. But there wasn't any other way. The blonde looked toward Wanda, seeing her lip visibly wiggle under the pressure of her fate. Vision held up her right hand to his face, holding on as her fingers trembled. The redhead cried without tears, unable to escape her destiny, but Vision comforted her, knowing only she could save the universe.

"It's not fair. It's shouldn't be you, but it is. It's all right. You could never hurt me. I just feel you."

The red wisps began to dance across Wanda's fingerless glove, beginning to grow until she thrust her powers into Vision, his cape fluttering backward as she did.

Kayla's soul broke at the sight of the girl opening weeping as she killed the man she loved. The pain her heart resonated through her chest and she flung her hands to her stomach, holding her baby tightly as the gunfire escalated nearby. Her long blond hair reached the ground as she fell, doubled over at the sensation inside her.

War Machine's armor was crushed and flung to the side after firing quite a few rounds at Thanos, but this caused enough time for Bucky to run from the trees, rifle blazing before being thrust back from the power stone. As he landed on the ground face down, Okoye threw her spear with all her might, but Thanos simply caught it with the Space stone and flung it, and her, away easily.

When Natasha neared Thanos, the Earth itself wrapped around her, trapping her beneath a prison of rock. She looked to her left, seeing Kayla as the stone pressed into her body. Kayla met her eyes, but shook her head, knowing she was unable to help.

Right behind Wanda, the tree creature created branches to wrap around the Mad Titan, but it was no use, he was too strong and broke free quickly, continuing his mission. He was almost to Vision now. Kayla met Natasha's eyes, and the assassin shook her head, imploring the Kay not to go.

But Kayla pushed herself up from the ground with a cry of pain, finding her footing as she stumbled into the clearing to stand between Thanos and Wanda. The redhead looked over her shoulder and saw her friend standing there, having no chance against the Titan, and pushed her left hand against Vision in an effort to destroy the stone faster. Kayla's black boots pressed firmly into the ground, she braced for whatever suffering Thanos could conjure against her. She stood in a fighting stance, her hair whipping around her as tears streamed down her cheeks from her green eyes. Another shot of pain shuddered through her body, and she gasped but didn't stand down. Kayla's legs trembled to be in the sights of such a creature. Her chest heaved. She had nothing to offer up as a fight, simply her presence to buy Wanda more time.

When the woman emerged from the trees, Thanos paused. He took her in, seeing her swollen stomach and the way she gasped in pain.

 _A mother._

His head tilted ever so slightly to the side in confusion, he slowed down just a step to study her further, but he didn't stop. As he took another step toward the woman, Captain America slid from the right-hand side of the Titan, drawing his attention away from the pregnant woman. The soldier skid to a stop and hoisted himself up enough to throw a hard punch against Thanos's knee. He then stood higher to get a left-handed punch against the Titan's left arm, then a right-handed hook up against his chin, knocking Thanos's head up momentarily. Cap's moves were diligent, but his vigor was intensified by Kayla's presence. He'd seen her step out before Thanos and had to save her. He had to save _her._

Kayla didn't move from her spot, seeing the fight in slow motion, wanting nothing more than to wake up from this terrible dream. She wanted Steve to land the final blow and plow the purple monster into the ground before swooping her up and rushing her to safety. She wanted Steve to defeat Thanos and tell Wanda to stop, saving Vision and the world. She wanted Steve to win.

Steve turned quickly to look at Kayla, then swung back around to see the gauntlet flying towards his face. He caught the gloved hand and held it back as Thanos reached for him. Steve's gloved hands pushed against the gold, and the Titan looked at him with confusion. How was a mortal man able to hold him back?

As Thanos pushed against Steve harder, determined to level the man, a growl from his clenched teeth turned into a yell as Steve pushed against Thanos with all his might, not allowing the Titan to get any further past him. Hatred and passion glowed in Steve's blue eyes as he held his own against the most powerful being in the entire universe, eye's locked on Thanos's as he continued to succeed. He was going to succeed, the _whole world_ depended on him in this moment. He felt that weight against him as Thanos pushed, but it was so much more than that. If he fell, Thanos would have a clear path to his wife.

But Thanos had enough of Captain America.

He moved his gantlet toward his side, the movement taking Cap a step with him, allowing a clean shot at the soldier's head with his right hand. Thanos wound up and pounded his giant fist into the man's head, the sound deafening on Kayla's ears as it made contact.

For a moment, the world froze, under the hot Wakandan sun, Kayla felt nothing but ice in her veins. She didn't feel her legs flinging her toward the unconscious man crumpled on the ground. She slid past Thanos, but the Titan didn't swing at her. He watched her thoughtfully as she flew herself over Steve, sobbing as she grabbed at him and flung him over to see his face.

"Steve! Steve? Baby wake up. Wake up! WAKE UP!" She screamed, tears steaming freely onto his lifeless body as she wailed. "Come back to me... Steve... Steve..."

But Steve Rogers was dead.


	80. Chapter 80

**96 Weeks Earlier**

Kayla gazed at the man before her like he was the sun, the moon, and every star in the whole universe. As he carried her away from the wedding ceremony, she wanted to run away and spend every single day for the rest of her life nestled in his arms. For this brief moment in time, they didn't have a care in the world.

Once out of views of the guests to their wedding, Steve set Kayla down and pulled her into another kiss, shoving his tongue hungrily inside her mouth. "Mr. Rogers!" She squeaked, wrapping her strong arms around his neck to hold him close to her, never letting her lips fully pull away. "We've got a dinner to go to! We can't get too carried away." Steve's hands slid lower as he kissed her, finding her ass and pulling her even closer so their whole bodies were flush together.

"Please, Mrs. Rogers... just one more... minute." He pleaded between kisses, holding her in the lacey wedding dress tightly. He was very aware that she wasn't trying to wiggle away, so he took it as a sign to continue.

"But Steeeve, my parents are in there." She giggled, pushing his chest away, causing his lower lip to pout as she reached toward it, wiping away the red lipstick that was now smeared across his face. "I'm gonna go get cleaned up real fast, then we'll head back to the banquet hall for dinner. Will you head back in there and I'll be there in five minutes."

Captain America snorted at her in protest, not lessening his grip on her butt as she pushed him by the chest. He wanted to hold her and never let go. But he knew she was right, there were people who had traveled a long way to celebrate with the couple. "Fine." Steve obliged, loosening his grip on the white fabric. "Just promise you won't be too long?"

Kayla gave one last chaste kiss before turning and swinging her dress to flow behind her as she strode toward her bedroom. When she opened the door, Zawadi jumped up on her and she caught him, keeping his paws away from her dress. "Hey, baby. How are you?" She cooed, placing a kiss on the dog's large snout. Once the dog had finished giving his owner kisses, she placed him back on the floor and moved toward the mirror, leaning in close to fix her smeared lipstick. She grinned as she grabbed a tissue, wiping away the red that Steve had excitedly smudged out of the lines. "I'm married. I'm Steve's wife." She whispered, staring at her own reflection. The woman before her had come a long way since that Governor's Ball years ago. She'd gone through hell and back, and it was all for him. Everything she'd done, since the moment she first approached him, had been for Steve.

And it was worth it.

Once Kayla's makeup was pristine again, she gently closed the door, letting Zawadi trot beside her as she floated back toward the banquet hall where all her wedding guests were waiting. When she reached the large doors, she saw Natasha standing near the large doors to the hall, talking to her mother. When the bride approached, Sandra and Nat looked up from their conversation, and the former First Lady closed the space between herself and her daughter, embracing the woman in a hug.

"You look so beautiful, honey. I'm so proud of you." She whispered in Kayla's ear as she held her daughter close.

"Thank you, mom." Kayla replied, being careful not to hurt the older woman with her strength, "I'm so thankful you both could be here. It means the world to me."

Suddenly, Captain America sauntered up to the woman, waiting patiently to collect his wife from her mother. "Mind if I cut in?"

"Of course. She's all yours." Sandra gently pushed Kayla toward the soldier as Kayla beamed, a subtle pink upon her cheeks.

"Are you hungry?" Steve asked casually, gesturing toward the open door that led them to a massive table filled with food.

Kayla licked her lips, eyeing the feast before her, "I'm always hungry."

"The serum does that," Steve replied with a shrug, pulling against the neck piece of his Captain America uniform. "I've never felt uncomfortable in this before."

Kayla smiled coyly up at the soldier, lust overtaking her emerald green eyes, "Maybe its because you know what's coming when you take it off.

"And now its too tight," Steve growled back and Kayla swatted him as Sam, Tiffany, and Bucky walked up behind them, Bucky clapping Steve hard on the shoulder.

"Proud of you punk. You finally did it. You finally landed a woman." Barnes teased as Steve gave him a tight hug. "Welcome to the family Kayla." Kayla took the opportunity to wrap her arms around the large brunette man.

"Thanks Buck." Steve replied as the two hugged, then quickly wrapped his arms around Kayla once his friend had backed away. Sam shook his head, seeing a spark of jealousy in Captain America, even if Steve didn't realize it was there.

"So happy for you two! About damn time." Tiffany clapped before taking her turn hugging the bride. "I'm sad that I'll be gone by the time you get back from your honeymoon. I'll want to hear all about it." Tiffany bumped her shoulder into the taller woman seductively, shimmying as she did so.

"Food. Let's eat." Steve exclaimed, and Kayla winked at him as he pulled her roughly toward the food. Once they were at the table, he sat to the right of the head seat, assuming it was for T'Challa, but not too worried about it. Food. Sustenance. Small talk. Leave.

"Captain." Steve looked up from scarfing boar into his mouth to see King T'Challa standing across the table from him. Kayla rose quickly and moved to hug him, thanking him for the ceremony. Steve watched them hazily, not really aware of what they were talking about.

"Honey." Kayla snapped her fingers at Steve, and he looked up at her, noticing that T'Challa, Sam, and Bucky were standing with his girl across the table.

"Hmmm?"

Kayla's jaw sat open, slightly in awe at her husband's disinterest in the world around him. He seemed overwhelmed, but not weary. He was in his own little world. Sam moved to Steve's side of the table and put his hand on his friend's shoulder supportively. T'Challa nodded toward the couple, a knowing smirk on his lips as he moved away. Only Bucky remained with Steve and his new wife, and the two best friends stared at each other for a moment silently before Kayla broke the silence. "I'll give you two a moment alone. I'm going to go talk to my parents."

"Uh, okay. Yeah. I'll be there in a minute." Steve stumbled, then turned to Bucky. "I'm in over my head."

"You are such a dork." Barnes laughed back, a sound that made Steve feel at home, "You are the first to run into a fight, but the idea of being with a woman has you running for the hills."

"I never back down from a challenge."

"Is that why you are sitting at your own wedding looking like a lost child?" Bucky answered, a smirk plastered across his stubbly face. "Get out of here. Clearly, your mind is elsewhere."

Steve blushed, knowing what his friend was insinuating, "Any advice?"

Bucky shrugged, "Naw, you'll figure it out." He winked at Cap, then turned and walked back toward Sam and Tiffany, who were chatting with Nat and Wanda.

Kayla didn't seem in too much of a hurry to leave, so he was patient as he waited beside her while she talked with her father about all the adventures she'd had since she left their ranch house. Finally, after standing dutifully beside his wife, Kayla decided the soldier had waited long enough to be alone with her.

"I think we are gonna head out for the evening. It's been a long, even if perfect, day. I for one am ready for some sleep." Kayla met Steve's glance and almost caught his expression fall. She turned back to her parents, taking turns giving them a strong hug. "I love you guys, so, so much. Thank you so much for coming all this way. Please be safe, okay? I'll check in while I can."

"Please do honey," Sandra asked as she turned from her daughter to Steve. "Captain."

"Ma'am." Steve responded politely.

"Take care of her." Mathew Ellis commanded and Steve shook his hand, a giant smile growing.

"I will. I swear on my life."

Kayla looked at her husband, and he met her eyes. Fear flickered in her eyes for a moment, but happiness overtook it and she smiled grandly, taking his strong hand in hers. "Let's go, darling."

The small crowd cheered as the Steve scooped Kayla up again and waltzed out of the room, leaving the wedding behind in pursuit of alone time. When Steve reached her door, Kayla flung open the door, finding the room empty as Zawadi had been wandering around the banquet hall trying to steal food scraps from the guests. Steve locked the door and moved quickly toward the balcony to close the blinds, turning away the outside world for a moment. Before he pulled them closed, he looked out over the open field before them, thinking about how beautiful of a view the plains were, a massive forest spreading on the other side of the clearing.

"Captain Rogers."

Steve's mind was pulled from the view as he turned slowly toward the voice behind him. He saw Kayla standing by the bathroom door, holding the frame tightly as she wore a white silk bathrobe. He opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out.

"You going to wear that to bed?" She asked, leaning into the doorframe as her flirty grin encouraged the super soldier. Kayla tilted her head slightly to the side, her hair falling over her shoulder with the movement. "I thought you said it wasn't very comfortable."

Steve's toes curled at her words as he swallowed hard, knowing what was coming next. Part of him wanted to run back into a fight, something he understood, something he was good at. But the other part of him wanted Kayla to literally rip that Captain America uniform to shreds so that he could never put it back on.

"Go get ready for bed. I'll wait. I'm gonna get some fresh air." Kayla passed Steve, pressing a gentle hand to his clean-shaven cheek as she did. She slipped through the closed curtains and made her way to the balcony beyond them, leaving her husband alone. He reluctantly moved toward the bathroom to get ready for bed, part of him having hoped Kayla would help him get undressed so he wouldn't be alone with his thoughts.

Steve splashed cold water onto his face, the cold reminding him that he was alive and he was there. He'd survived too many times and found his way here, to a fleeting moment of calm. Married to a beautiful woman who was waiting patiently for him outside that door.

The future wasn't certain, but Steve knew he had to make the time he had with Kayla count. And Steve also knew sleep would evade him that night.

He opened the door quietly, looking around to find the room still empty, meaning Kayla was still outside on the balcony. He slowly moved toward the door and took a deep breath before he opened the curtains to step outside with his bride.

She stared ahead at the field he had earlier, not turning to face him as she felt him wrap his bare arms around her. "You're not wearing a shirt."

"It's too hot for shirts tonight."

Kayla grinned, being thrown back to a simpler time. When she was just getting to know Captain Steven Grant Rogers, the man who was now her husband. She turned around, her breath catching as he held her tight against his chest. Her eyes shifted up to meet his, taking him in as she did. It was time.

"Shall we Mrs. Rogers?" Steve gestured back into the bedroom, a stupid, boyish smile on his perfect face.

She nodded, beaming back at him, "We shall."


	81. Chapter 81

**Author's Note: After this chapter, there is only ONE MORE BEFORE ENDGAME! So as a huge thank you for 24,000 views (WHAT?!) I'm dropping this chapter and then continuing work on my 'Sequel of Sorts' story 96 Weeks. It's adventures and fluff that happened between the wedding and the start of Infinity War. If you are interested, please check it out! As far as this story, I'm going to hold off until I get three reviews to post the last pre-EndGame chapter of this story. Please tell me what your thoughts are, or even just tell me if you enjoy this story. I LOVE writing this story, but I have a terrible feeling that it'll come to an end with Avengers 4, but we'll have to see! Thank you for reading and enjoy this chapter!**

Thanos had one mission: Gather all six Infinity Stones and use them to save the universe. They didn't understand, there was no other way. There weren't enough resources to go around, so he had to wipe out half the universe to save it. They would cease to exist, and those left behind would thrive. He was doing _the right thing._ Thanos had felt no remorse wiping out planets, one by one. He knew he was doing the right thing, and he was _so close._

There was no stopping destiny now.

It was that confidence in his ability to win that caused Thanos to pause in his mission when he saw the pregnant woman fling herself over the body of the man he had just subdued. A violent sob erupted from Kayla's throat as her head fell, lulling down to press against Steve's silent chest. Thanos watched her, the slightest bit of guilt in his face as he watched the woman mourn. It was the feeling he had when he sacrificed his Gamora for the Soul Stone.

"Ah, the father."

Kayla's eyes turned cold as her jaw quivered angrily, she lifted her face to look Thanos in the eye as the Titan took a step away from Wanda and Vision. Kayla wanted to curse the monster before her for destroying her life. She wanted to take away everything _he_ loved so he could even begin to understand the rage and brokenness in her soul.

"How-how dare you-" Kayla spat as Thanos loomed over her. She didn't look away from his piercing eyes, and she didn't move away from Steve. "You-you killed him. You killed my husband. And you just stand there, watching?"

Thanos turned away from the girl, continuing his trek toward Vision and the Mind Stone. But Kayla wouldn't have him turn his back on her. Not now. Not after he'd taken everything from her. With all the strength she could muster she charged as Thanos, but as she neared the Titan, he turned and aimed the gauntlet toward her, glowing orange and red and Kayla stopped dead in her tracks, looking around in confusion as her world changed. She still stood in Wakanda, but everything was tinted red. She was barely aware of the orange glow near her baby as she struggled to understand what was happening. She could hear Thanos speaking to her, even though she could no longer see him. "I'm sorry it had to happen this way, but I'm not doing this so you will suffer. I'm doing it so you'll both survive. Someday you'll understand."

"Mamma?"

The child's voice caused Kayla to spin quickly to find the source. But the vision she was given took her breath away.

"Mamma?" The child asked again, big eyes looking up at the blonde woman who's hair was pulled up into a tight bun on top of her head. She wore a dark blue suit and seemed to be looking the opposite way, but she finally turned, and Kayla saw her own face on the woman. She gave the child a beaming smile, cherry lipstick causing her teeth to sparkle.

"Yes, Steve." She asked patiently as she knelt down, opening her arms for the child to run into them.

The small boy ran to the woman and she scooped him up easily. He was small, but his smile was bright. She looked at him with all the love in the entire world. It's the look Kayla imagined she had on her face when she looked at Steve. The boy touched the vision's face, and she giggled, kissing him on the forehead.

"I love you, Mamma." The boy admitted, throwing his arms around her neck lovingly.

"I love you so, so much buddy," Kayla told the child, squeezing him tightly, but the boy started coughing, causing her to release him quickly.

"Too tight!" The child giggled and Kayla set him down, sitting cross-legged on the dirt. "I wish I knew Daddy."

The mother forced a comforting smile, even though it killed her to do so, "I wish you did too, sweetheart. He was a good man. He loved you so much."

"He died so everyone else would have a good life?"

"Something like that." The woman said, eyes glazing over. Did she think Steve died to stop Thanos? Did she think Steve died so that Thanos could succeed? Something about the image didn't sit right, and the real Kayla shook her head violently, trying to clear the vision from her mind. She looked up and met the mother's eyes, and the look she saw was a warning.

This was her future.

Kayla finally pulled her sights away from the red and turned to see Thanos pushing against Wanda as she held up her right hand, holding him back while she continued to blast Vision. Thanos was about to win.

The Mind Stone shattered, destroying Vision with it. A powerful blast shook the trees around Wanda and Thanos and flung Kayla backward. The future the Reality Stone showed Kayla was wiped away with it, and she was left with her own reality: Steve had died to stop Thanos, and he succeeded.

But she wasn't the only one to lose the man she loved. Kayla stumbled back to where Steve laid, falling down to sit beside him. She looked at him, thankful his eyes had closed. Despite Thanos being defeated, she felt pain in her heart and her pregnant stomach, but she was weak. She laid down and clutched Steve, her chin propped on his lifeless chest to see Wanda as she wept on the ground, Thanos looming over her. If Kayla ignored the truth she knew, she could pretend Steve was fine, that he was there with her. Kayla watched Wanda, completely unable to comprehend what had just happened. Completely unable to help her friend.

Thanos leaned down and pet Wanda's hair in what was meant to be a comforting motion, but it didn't bring any comfort to the witch. "I understand my child. Better than anyone." Thanos told her, and Wanda snarled back at him, telling him he could never understand. Kayla could understand the woman's anguish, but Thanos? No, he could never understand what it was like to lose the person he loved the most. He didn't know what love was. Nonetheless, he continued, "Today I lost more than you could know. But now is no time to mourn. Now is no time at all..." Thanos wandered past Wanda to stand where Vision once kneeled before being blown apart by his love. Wanda barely looked over her shoulder, not caring what Thanos was doing, but curious as to what he meant by his words.

Thanos aimed the gauntlet in the direction where Vision was and moved it skillfully, a strange green dial appeared and Thanos twisted it back. Kayla watched carefully from where she laid on the ground, eyeing it cautiously before her awareness suddenly vanished and she found herself in the trees where she had hid as Thanos arrived. The moment she looked around, to find Wanda she heard the girl screech and saw her flicked away effortlessly as Thanos clamped his gantlet hand around Vision's neck.

 _Vision's alive?_

Thanos lifted Vision into the air and reached up with his right hand, plucking the Mind Stone from his forehead as Kayla watched in horror. Thanos was about to win. As the Mind Stone parted with Vision, the android became grey and lifeless, and the Titan discarded him to the side carelessly as he placed the last Infinity Stone into the center of the gauntlet. Kayla watched in horror, unable to move, as light and power flowed through the monster who had taken everything from her.

Like an angel from above, a massive bolt of lightning ground Thanos away from Wanda. Thor blasted the Titan before winding up and heaving Stormbreaker toward Thanos, who blasted back with the gauntlet. Kayla stood, ignoring the danger she was in. If she died at this moment, the last thing she'd see was the God of Thunder saving the universe from Thanos.

When the light subsided, Kayla saw Stormbreaker embedded in Thanos's chest and Thor pressed it in viciously, causing Thanos to yell in pain. As Thor held Thanos's head, staring at the monster before he died, the Titan said something quiet that Kayla could just barely hear, but would play in the back of her memory for the rest of her life.

"You should have gone for the head."

And then he snapped the fingers of the gauntlet as Thor cried out. There was a blinding light, and when Kayla's eyes adjusted, she could see the gauntlet destroyed, simmering from being used in such a way. Kayla began to stumble through the trees, making her way toward where the others should be without entering the clearing and being in the line of sight of Thor and Thanos. She watched as she moved quietly, trying to get around them but as quickly as Thor yelled: "What did you do?" Thanos disappeared into the dark blue smoke he arrived in, Stormbreaker falling from his chest, stained from his purple blood. Thor stared at the ax, breathless and confused.

But from the trees walked Steve, breathless and holding on to his left side, but very much alive, "Where'd he go? Thor? Where did he go?" He looked around frantically as he questioned, not understanding. He was fighting Thanos, he was holding him off. The next thing he knew, he was back where it all started, by the mountain with the rest of the team.

"Steve? Steve!" Kayla shrieked as she bolted from the trees to hold her husband. He held her tight but didn't look away from Thor as the god didn't respond.

"Steve?"

Steve turned his body toward the voice at his right, moving Kayla with him as to not let her go as she gripped him tightly. They saw Bucky moving slowly toward them, his right arm raised as dust began to float from it. Kayla tilted her head inquisitively as Steve let her go, and they watched Bucky dissolve as he fell before them, a pile of dust blown into the air from the impact as his gun hit the jungle floor.

Steve moved closer, panic taking over him as he knelt down to investigate, his mind not believing what his eyes saw. Kayla stood back, jaw hung open nervously, unable to move as Steve looked up at Thor, then pressed his gloved hand to the shredded remains of his best friend.

The sight and the implications of what was happening made Kayla need to vomit, something that wasn't uncommon with being pregnant. She darted toward the trees, letting herself fall against a log as she tried to gag, trying to rid her mind of the things she had just endured.

Steve had died. She'd held his lifeless body in her arms.

Thanos had won. Thanos snapped his fingers.

Steve was alive? Thanos had used the Time Stone...

Thanos had snapped his fingers...

Steve looked around worriedly, realizing he'd lost Kayla. "Kay! Kay where are you?" He called, looking around in terror after hearing Okoye yell and dust floating through the air, realizing they'd lost King T'Challa. He looked around, not able to find Nat, or Sam, or Kayla. "Bruce? Have you seen Kayla?" He questioned as Bruce watched from his high vantage point, seeing all the Wakandan soldiers disappear.

Kayla looked up from her gagging to hear Okoye yelling, panic like the blonde had never heard in her voice. It made her sick to her stomach and she continued to gag, the image of Bucky vanishing haunting her mind mercilessly. Who else had they lost? Who would walk out of this in one piece?

The woman suddenly felt tingling inside her, a feeling she'd never experienced. The pain shot all through her body, and realization struck her.

Hovering over Vision's grey corpse, Wanda felt a similar feeling, but it was accompanied by peace. She was going to be with her parents, Pietro, Vision. Her time as the Scarlet Witch ended as it began, with tingling in the darkness, and the sound of Kayla Rogers screaming.


	82. Chapter 82

Author's Note: GUYS ONE MONTH TILL WE SEE ENDGAME! (Going to the Thursday night premiere, assuming tickets ever go on sale, but I digress). This is the last Pre-Endgame Chapter. It's pretty dark, but I knew early on what was going to happen. Please leave reviews, tell me if you like this story, if you now hate this story (Sorry, I'm awful) just let me know you are out there. Also, THANK YOU FOR 27,000 VIEWS! I'm so blessed that people actually read this little story of mine. It's been an honor, and I'm sad to bring it to an end. Or... maybe not? Leave a review PLEASE and check out 96 Weeks for some filler and weird fan fiction tropes! 3

Steve was barely aware of Kayla's screaming. He had seen Wanda disappear as the sound echoed through the trees, and he couldn't face it. His girl, his Kay... was gone. He knelt next to Vision, staring at the empty space in his forehead where the Mind Stone once sat. Steve allowed himself to fall, his arm falling onto his knee as he stared ahead, putting the sound of his wife's dying cries out of his mind. His heart begged him to look for her, but his mind told him he didn't want to see a pile of dust made out of the woman he loved. After a few moments, the screaming stopped.

Natasha ran toward the group, skidding to a stop when she saw Steve on the ground next to Vision. She grabbed her stomach, the feeling of nausea that had plagued Kayla attacking her. She looked around, realizing everything had gone quiet, but there was a slight whimper coming from the trees. Nat looked around at the group, then back to their leader. "Steve?"

"Oh God..." Steve muttered, completely dazed by their loss. They had _lost._ And it cost him _everything._

Natasha heard the soft crying again and turned back toward the trees. Without speaking, she darted toward the woods and nobody followed her. The silence that hung over the Wakandan jungle was haunting, but the pained crying continued. Those who had perished were already gone. Natasha breathed heavily as she approached, scared to see what she'd find.

Nat's breath hitched as another soft sob emitted from the dying woman, more vomit being forced from her mouth as she held her stomach painfully. "Kayla-" Natasha knelt quickly and put her hand on the blonde's back, but Kayla didn't answer, she just kept crying and gagging. It was then that Natasha noticed that, amongst the contents of Kayla's stomach, were particles of dust.

"Oh my God!" Nat yelped, jumping to her feet. "Doctor Banner! Bruce! Get over here quick, she needs a doctor, fast!" Nat knelt down again, trying to calm the woman, but the crying just intensified as the truth set in. Kayla pressed a hand against her stomach, finding it flat.

"Steve! Steve get over here quick!" Banner called as he approached the scene. "Thor, get me out of this thing!"

Kayla's eyes grew heavy, her whole body aching from the invasive substance that now inhabited it. The super soldier serum in her cells was trying to fight it out, but the idea of her body rejecting her child made her want to die even more. If only she'd had the baby earlier, if only she hadn't asked Wanda to make the baby wait... but then, would the outcome have been different? Or would she have been holding her child when they disappeared before her eyes?

He.

It was a boy. Thanos had shown her her future... what had gone wrong?

Kayla didn't see Thor as he ripped the Hulkbuster armor apart, allowing Bruce to kneel beside her. She didn't feel Bruce as he used all his strength to flip over her dense body, allowing him a view of her face. She didn't hear Natasha screaming as loudly as possible for Steve, only to have the soldier ignore her, sitting on the ground a hundred feet away.

"Where's... Steve...?" Kayla gasped as she thrust herself forward, more vomit emitting itself from her body.

"We've got to get her to a hospital. I-I don't know what's going to happen. We've got to... get this out. There could be damage to her stomach." Banner explained quickly, looking nervously at Nat. "Natasha...is it?"

"Thor, can you carry her? Steve is... incapacitated." Natasha turned to the God of Thunder, and the blonde man nodded, scooping up Kayla in his strong arms. Natasha turned to Bruce, "Where should we take her?"

"If Thanos wiped out half of all human life... everywhere will be in chaos. I suppose we should just take her to the princess's lab. They'll have the equipment I'll need. I can save her." Bruce declared, turning from Thor to the vomit on the ground as the god flew away, taking the woman with him.

"Steve!" Natasha screamed, racing toward the Captain as he sat on the ground, staring at Vision. "Steve, snap out of it!" Finally, out of desperation, Nat slapped Steve hard across the cheek, and he looked up at her, jaw still hung open. He didn't say anything, just stared at her, but there was no anger in his eyes, only shock, and loss. Natasha knelt next to him, trying to ignore the fact that her knee was sitting in a pile of Wanda. "Steve, Kayla is alive, but she is _dying._ We need you to come with us. Bruce thinks he can save her, but she needs _you._ "

Steve sat in silence for a moment longer, taking in Natasha's words as his eyes fell from her to the space before him. Finally, his brows began to furrow, reality set in. All was not lost. His wife was still alive. Their baby? The baby might still be alive! Steve sprung to his feet and looked past Nat, trying to find Kayla.

"Thor's taken her to the lab, Bruce feels like he can help her... but Steve, you need to know-"

Before she could finish, Steve was running, faster than he'd ever run before. He ran past Rhodey and Rocket as he followed Okoye, who was taking Bruce back to the lab. He passed their ship, running faster and faster as he pushed himself harder than he ever had before. Eventually, he found himself at the base of Shuri's lab.

"Get in Captain," Okoye ordered as she slowed the transport so Steve could climb in and they rose to the top where she docked the carrier. Steve lept off quickly, leaving the General and Banner behind as he searched for his wife.

"Kayla!" He yelled, sliding to a stop and looking around the lab, finally, his eyes landed on Thor, and he closed the space quickly. "Thor! Thor where is she?" Thor silently pointed to a table where Kayla rested, still choking lightly as she laid on her back. "Kay-" Steve started, but Doctor Banner rushed up to the woman, cutting Steve off with his presence.

"Is there any anesthetic around here? We need to get it-" Banner caught Steve's eyes, stopping his sentence abruptly. Steve watched Bruce, then turned to Kayla to see her hands fly to her face, sobbing quietly. It was then he noticed her stomach.

"No... no no no. Kay... Kay-" Steve stammered, grabbing onto her hands as she coughed again. "Kay?"

"Cap, I need you to give her some air. I-I know this is hard. I can't imagine, Steve, but she's dying, and we need to... get... it out." Bruce stuttered, knowing there was no way around upsetting the broken man before him.

"Him." Kayla cried, and Steve's head snapped toward her, tears threatening to spill out of his blue eyes. "It was a boy. Thanos... showed me... it was him and I. Just the two of us. You- you died." Kayla explained quietly, breathing deeply as Banner gently lifted her up, handing her the water Okoye had fetched him. "I watched Thanos kill you..."

"I'm here now, and I swear on my life, he'll pay for what he's done. He'll pay for what he did to us, to our son." Steve vowed, pressing his bearded cheek against hers as her tears began to flow again, and the overwhelming need to vomit continued. "Drink more."

"We're going to need to do an emergency C-section. I'm- a little rusty. It's been years, but, I'll do the best I can. I can't promise she'll be okay Cap, but I can promise she'll die if we don't do it." Banner explained nervously, knowing there was no winning in this situation. "I can't find any anesthetic, so it's going to be painful."

"I don't want to... Steve... I don't want to..." Kayla protested, but the soldier shook his head, rebutting her cries.

He pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek and grabbed the hand holding the water glass, encasing her fingers in his, "You have to Kay. I can't lose both of you. I can't lose _all_ of you today. Please, do it for me."

Kayla chugged the water and nodded at Bruce, giving him permission. Her cells worked overtime to right the wrong inside her and they would help dull the pain of being sliced open awake, but, there was nothing any super soldier serum could do that would heal her broken heart.

* * *

Several hours later, Steve tugged Kayla's hand as they arrived at their room. The pain was excruciating, but Doctor Banner believed he'd done the best he could, and he'd forced Steve and Kayla to look away as he did his work, holding back tears as Okoye watched dutifully nearby. Rough stitches held together Kayla's stomach, but the pain was a welcome distraction to the ache in her soul. Steve held Kayla tightly around the shoulder, allowing her to walk, but not allowing her to fall as her legs were weak.

When the door opened, Sasa bum-rushed the door, barking wildly at the couple before she whimpered desperately, then drug Kayla by the shirt toward the bed, where three little puppies sat in a pile of ash. Kayla looked around expectantly, then began to sob violently, Steve catching her before she could hit the floor. Steve held her tight against his chest so she couldn't look around, but didn't point out the large pile of dust by the door that they passed as they entered. "Kay." He started, but words failed him. What could he say to the woman he loved. At least he didn't die? Were her parents alive? Was Tiffany?

"Let's find somewhere else to go. I know you don't want to be in here." Steve finally said, squeezing her tightly.

To his surprise, she shook her head, "No, I've got to take care of the little ones. They don't understand where their siblings have gone." Kayla gently scooped up what was left of the litter and placed them onto the king sized bed, letting them patter around on the soft mattress as Kayla stripped out of her destroyed clothing, discarding it on the floor. Steve watched as she pulled the little chestnut puppies to her chest and cried herself to sleep. He knew he should join her, but, he couldn't sleep. He still saw Bucky disappearing in his mind's eye, and he could only imagine what ruin the rest of the world was in.

"I love you, Steve." Kayla murmured, her face was shoved in a heap of puppies to hide her tears, but her words weren't any less true. She needed him to know.

He smiled weakly, sitting on the edge of the bed with Sasa, who sat her head lovingly on his thigh. "I love you too Kay. I promise you, I'm going to make this right. Somehow."

"I know you will Steve," Kayla replied, and he finally laid down behind her and draped his arm over his wife, holding her tight against him, scared to lose anyone else.


	83. Chapter 83

**Author's Note: Oh, uh, hey guys. Did ya see Endgame? (If the answer is no, stop, go back, RIGHT NOW. DON'T READ ANY FURTHER. How bout that ending? As you can probably figure out, that isn't going to jive very well with this... and I've thought loooooong and hard about it. I've contemplated many terrible, terrible fates for my precious characters to somehow keep that ending, but this isn't just his story. Don't worry. I've got a plan. Thanks for waiting patiently while I waited impatiently for Endgame, review, follow, all that fun stuff. Thanks for being the best.**

"We lost T'Challa?"

General Okoye nodded at the blonde woman as she sat at the long banquet table alone, ignoring the breakfast presented before her. Okoye's jaw was tight, but her bottom lip betrayed her and wobbled as she gave one firm nod. "I was there when he was decimated. He was holding my arm."

Kayla looked down at the table, her eyes pinched shut at the visual. "Shuri?"

"Gone."

"So you'll be in charge from now on?" Kayla asked, looking up to meet Okoye's stare.

"I guess I am." The warrior answered quietly, gripping her spear a little tighter. "How are you feeling?"

Kayla took a deep breath, knowing the question was inevitable, as much as she didn't want to talk about it, the people around her were worried about her. They were all worried about each other. "It hurts. My stomach. My heart. It all hurts, so bad. I can't get a hold of my parents. I can't get a hold of my best friend. Zawadi is gone, along with half the litter. They don't understand, which makes it that much worse. I can imagine it is how the entire universe feels. A rapture with no rhyme or reason. It's terrifying." Kayla's eyes grew cold as she stared away from Okoye toward the wall of the banquet hall, the horrors of their reality causing terrible visions in her mind. Imagining families happily sitting together, until half of them disappear into the wind. Kayla blinked rapidly, trying to wipe the thoughts away as she steadied her breathing, bringing her focus back to Okoye, "I'm sorry. I'm just... processing."

"We all are." Okoye answered shortly, "Everyone will grieve differently. If you excuse me, I have to meet with the Tribal Council. See who's left. Good luck Mrs. Rogers. I am sorry for your loss."

"Same to you General," Kayla said sadly as the woman left her alone at the table, still ignoring the food Bruce insisted she tried eating when he checked on her early that morning. The day before was still too fresh in her mind. And she wasn't hungry.

Kayla stared at the food, poking it with her fork until she heard the sound of boots against the floor. Without looking up, she called to the visitor, "For a spy, you aren't very quiet."

Natasha sidled up next to Kayla, pulling a chair from the table beside her and taking a seat, facing the other blonde, "I wasn't trying to sneak up on you. I wanted to check on you. Steve won't tell us anything, but, Bruce says you aren't doing well."

Kayla continued her poking, mushing the potatoes until they no longer looked appetizing, "I suppose I'm not. Yesterday was a bad day."

"Yesterday was a bad day for all of us Kay." Natasha warned, trying to keep an even tone with the mourning woman, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really. Do you?" Kayla countered, looking up finally to see her friend. Natasha was the only close friend she had left. "How are _you_ dealing with everything?"

Natasha's breath hitched, surprised that Kayla could turn the conversation on her so quickly and effortlessly. "I'm not dealing well at all. We lost a lot of good people. Sam. Wanda. Barnes. We lost a lot of our family."

"Family." Kayla scoffed, looking away from Natasha, unable to meet her gaze any longer, but her tone softened before she continued, "The Avengers- whoever is left... they are all the family I have left."

Natasha's mouth twisted into a grim smile, "They were the only family I've ever had."

"Thank you. For finding me yesterday. I wouldn't be here without you, you know that? You saved my life, Nat." Kayla said quickly, meeting Natasha's eyes once more, but locking into them as she grabbed the assassin's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Natasha's eyes welled up a little, trying to hold back the tears. Kayla didn't have any left.

"Steve was just... so..." Natasha tried to justify the haunted look in their Captain's eyes as he sat beside Vision's corpse, staring ahead as the world fell into unfathomable darkness, deaf to the dying cries of his wife.

"Broken. Steve is broken." Kayla finished, her face twitching at the words, "But we'll be okay. We'll regroup. And we'll figure something out. We always do" Kayla forced a hopeful smile, and Natasha decided not to tell her it came out lopsided, almost a grimace at the idea of fighting again.

As Natasha stood, she offered Kayla her other hand and the blonde accepted it, allowing Nat to pull her to her feet. "It's time to go home, Kay. Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be I guess. I'll get the dogs." Kayla responded, leading the way out of the banquet hall toward the living quarters of the palace.

Natasha released a low groan from behind Kayla, and Kayla smirked over her shoulder as the assassin added, "Great. _More_ dogs. Awesome. Just what we need."

"Natasha."

The two women turned to see Steve waltzing up to them from the direction they came, a scowl on his face as he stared down his teammate. Natasha's demeanor stayed neutral, but Kayla softened, turning to meet her husband halfway. "None of that. We're fine. We're fine Steve." Kayla assured, placing her hand gently on his cheek. She winced, feeling a strain on her stomach as she lifted her arm, and Steve instinctively lowered his hand to touch her, and the motion caused them both to stiffen. Kayla looked down, both of them locked in on Steve's hand gently pressing her abdomen. "Let's go home, darling."

Steve nodded, moving his hand to quickly grab Kayla's and pull her gently toward their room, not acknowledging Natasha again as he passed her. Kayla looked over her shoulder to her friend, calling, "We'll meet you at the quinjet, Nat!"

Natasha hadn't felt that alone in seven years.

Once back inside their palace suite, Kayla went to work collecting the three little Rhodesian Ridgebacks. The two little girls wiggled as Kayla piled both of them into her right arm, then scooped down and picked up the boy, the runt, cradling him against her chest. Steve clicked, alerting Sasa to their departure. They left Kayla's belongings. She didn't want to take the memories with her. Her past and the life she almost had would stay in Wakanda.

Kayla lugged her little brood toward the quinjet on the tarmac outside of the Wakandan palace. General Okoye stood by the jet, waiting to say goodbye to her new companions. Rhodey, Bruce, and Natasha were already milling about the quinjet, preparing to head back to New York. Thor was sulking on the floor against the wall of the jet, staring ahead as his ax laid next to him as Rocket stood next to him quietly. Steve shook Okoye's hand, thanking her for everything, and apologizing for her, and Wakanda's, loss.

Kayla was the last to head to the jet, turning around and taking in the palace one last time. She would never return to Wakanda, but she didn't know that yet.

"Kayla." Okoye caught the woman's attention, and Kayla looked back, keeping a tight grip on the three large puppies she still held in her arms. "Be careful."

Kayla nodded slowly, not responding to the General's warnings. She simply plodded her way into the jet before the back door closed and they took off into the sky, leaving their devastation behind.

* * *

Kayla stared at the Avengers Compound from the launch pad, not ready to enter it. It had been more than two years since she'd walked through those doors. Since she'd stormed in and beaten Tony Stark to a pulp for lying to her about Steve. None of it mattered anymore. Steve was alive. Tony was not.

"Come on Kayla. This... this is still your home." Rhodey gestured toward the glass door, holding out his arm for her to take. She looked at it for a moment, then took it, allowing the man to lead her through the glass doors into the sitting room of the abandoned headquarters. "This place, it was quiet when we left, but, there's nobody left." Rhodey sighed, looking around at the dark room. They'd had Christmas there years ago. It had been full of life and love, but, now, there was nothing but empty couches and painful memories.

"Is there a place we can go to clean up?" Kayla inquired politely, looking around and getting her bearings. The little ones were getting restless, and they'd already made quite a mess on the jet.

"Your room is just as you left it. Not a soul has been in there in two years." Rhodey nodded toward the living quarters, and Kayla looked longingly down the hallway. Toward her apartment, toward her home. The place Steve proposed to her. A place she'd never expected to get back to, but here she was.

"We'll meet back here at sixteen hundred," Steve ordered, before leading Kayla toward their home. Bruce shoved his hands in his pockets as he turned to Natasha, asking about where he should go.

"You've got a room, Bruce. You always had a home, just in case you came back." Natasha answered quietly with a smile before turning toward her own apartment to get cleaned up, leaving the two men and downtrodden god to stand around in the empty living room with a talking raccoon.

Steve pushed open the door to Kayla's room slowly, and Kayla deposited all the puppies onto the floor, ignoring them as they began to piddle everywhere. Steve opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it, knowing better than to bother her at that moment. He'd clean up after the dogs later. "Why don't you take a shower, I'll get the dogs settled." Steve offered, offering her a grim look.

"You could join me?" Kayla prodded, grasping Steve's larger hand with her own. "I might need help, with the stitches. I don't want to cause any more damage."

"Okay, yeah, I'll, uh, be right there." Steve stammered, looking around the apartment as the three puppies followed their mother into the bedroom, pawing on the bed to get up after she leaped onto the mattress. Steve followed them, scooping up the large dogs and depositing onto the unmade bed with their mother. Rhodey was right, no one had touched Kayla's apartment in two years. He wondered if they'd done the same for him. It mattered very little, because Steve decided he would never sleep in a bed without his wife again.

Steve heard the water of the shower running, and slowly wandered toward the noise. Pausing in the doorway, he saw Kayla leaning against the shower wall, letting the water wash over her as she quietly sobbed, holding her right hand to her mouth. Steve pulled off his shirt and pants, then opened the glass door to join her, and she moved swiftly from her spot on the wall to sob against his chest, not trying to be quiet any longer as he wrapped his arms around her.

* * *

"Alright, we've got to start by figuring out who is left. We can't assume anyone is still alive, but, we need to get a headcount." Steve explained, milling about the former conference room of the compound. Natasha pulled up several holographic screens, displaying the number of reported deaths escalating rapidly. Steve looked at his partner, studying her solemn expression, "You heard from Barton?"

"He tried calling yesterday, but I missed the call. When I called him back, there was no answer. I haven't been able to get a hold of him since. I don't know if it was before or after the... the-"

"Don't say it." Kayla snapped bitterly, looking up from the table she sat at next to Thor. The demi-god turned to the woman, his eyes dark with regret. They all had regret, but none as much as him.

Steve's expression softened at his wife's words, but he needed to stand firm for his team. His team. He was in charge again. They needed a leader. They needed him. "Nick Fury? Agent Hill? Sharon Carter? Have we heard from anyone at Shield?"

"I've started sending out calls. I haven't heard anything yet, but it's still early. If anyone's left, I'm sure they'll respond." Natasha answered, typing feverishly on one of her screens as the death toll above her continued to rise.

Rhodey looked around at the group, leaning against the wall, "Are we sure Tony's gone?"

"I don't know Rhodey, did he go to space and not come back?" Rocket Raccoon asked, and Kayla rolled her eyes at the creature, not fond of their new company. Intrigued, yes, but not fond.

"We have to assume the worst. Hope for the best, but, assume the worst. Have we contacted Pepper? Make sure she's alright?" Steve prodded Rhodey, trying to give some sort of hope to Iron Man's best friend.

Rhodey shook his head, pulling his cell out of his pocket, "I'll give her a call now."

Natasha's phone began to ring and she frantically pulled it out, answering it hastily, "Hello? Hello... Klein- you're where?... How fast can you get here?... We'll see you soon." The call was brief, but whatever hopefulness that Klein's call gave Natasha faded after he told her where he was.

"Who was that?" Steve asked sternly, needing answers despite Natasha clearly being upset. Tears had begun forming in the corners of her eyes, and Kayla stood quickly to cross to her friend. "What did they say?" Steve repeated.

"It was Cameron Klein. He was en route to meet Nick Fury when it happened. He found Nick's belongings in his vehicle in Atlanta. Nick and Hill are both gone." Natasha finished sadly, sniffling as she raised her face in an attempt to stay afloat.

Kayla wrapped her arms around the shorter woman from behind, and Natasha grabbed her arm, holding her close as Kayla rested her chin on Natasha's shoulder. Steve nodded slowly, turning back to the screen. "We'll see if we hear from anyone else. We can use all the help we can get. When does Klein expect to get here?"

"He's on his way. He'll be here within the hour." Natasha answered, sparing a glance at Rhodey, who was on the phone with Pepper. Rocket sat next to Thor, staring between the brooding blonde and the rest of the team, sizing them up.

"All this talking ain't going to do much as far as getting everyone back. And that's kind of the point, isn't it? To find a way and get everyone back?" Rocket asked, and everyone but Thor turned to face him.

Kayla pulled away from Natasha, moving to stand next to Steve, pulling up a screen and typing away. "Former President Mathew Ellis and his wife Sandra were among those confirmed to be dead in this global tragedy." Kayla mumbled, moving the screen to show a panel of names that continued to grow, "Half the universe dies instantly, and we don't. I guess the raccoon is right, we have to do something. What is the point in living if we have to live knowing we failed?"

"That's the spirit." Rocket said sarcastically, and Thor bumped him gently with his arm to get him to stop.

Bruce looked around at the remnants of the Avengers, "What do we do now?"

"We wait, and we watch. And as soon as we find something useful, we'll do something about it." Steve answered evenly, staring ahead at the screen as Kayla wiped hers away, pulling her long blonde hair to the side of her head and began to fishtail braid it quietly, having nothing more to say about the matter.


	84. Chapter 84

Kayla sat on the floor, her bare feet pressed together and her legs outspread to create a little corral for the puppy that snoozed against her calf. After roughhousing with his sisters, the runt was exhausted, and Kayla couldn't bear to stand the sight of Steve and Natasha staring at the death toll anymore. She needed a distraction.

For the past five days, the number of confirmed deaths continued to rise and rise and rise, and Steve Rogers did nothing but stare at it, trying to formulate a plan. All they knew was Thanos accomplished his goal, he wiped out fifty percent of the universe and then disappeared using the Space Stone, leaving without a trace.

Klein had brought an interesting device to the team, telling them it was found on the ground behind Fury's van, but it clearly belonged to the director.

"Hook it up, keep it running." Steve had said to Bruce upon receiving the pager. "Keep the signal alive as long as we can. We need to figure out what it is, and who it's calling."

That was five days ago. The pager had beeped incessantly for five days, driving Kayla farther and farther into madness. She'd lost so much. They had _all_ lost so much. And there they sat. For five days, stewing, not knowing where to go or what to do. Kayla just kept replaying Bucky Barnes in her mind, how he fell, how his ashes covered the ground. How the same ashes somehow ripped through her stomach and practically killed her, leaving her without a child, and the inability to ever be a mother again.

After three days, it's when Kayla started noticing the hair at the back of her neck was falling out, but she didn't say anything to Steve. He had enough to worry about without worrying about her. Kayla wasn't even sure if she was worried. What more could the world- could Thanos- take away from her?

"Hey, cutie." Kayla cooed as she pet the puppy, smoothing back the dark ridge along his spine as he snoozed against her black leggings, "I love you, Buddy." Kayla leaned forward and pressed a kiss against the dog's head as he slept. The stretch shot pain through her stomach and she grimaced, clenching her teeth as she slowly moved upright again, leaning against the wall, listening to the constant ticking of the death toll rising.

"This is a nightmare," Steve said as he continued to stare at the screen, leaning over the table for a better look.

To his side, Natasha did the same, her eyes wet from her constant state of crying. Kayla couldn't believe how hard the assassin was taking this. She felt so guilty it was as if she personally snapped half the universe out of existence. "I've had better nightmares." She mumbled in response to Steve. Neither looked to each other, what was there to say that hadn't already been said.

Kayla looked up to her right to see Rhodey enter the room just as Steve turned around to face him. "Hey, so that thing just stopped doing... whatever the hell it was doing." Steve and Natasha looked at each other, Natasha looking resigned as she nodded toward the door for Steve to follow Rhodey.

Kayla pushed herself off of the ground, waking Buddy with her movement. He whimpered from the lack of content from his master, but settled back down in the corner anyway, despite her being gone. Kayla walked up behind Steve as Natasha asked Bruce what had happened.

"Whatever signal it was sending finally crapped out," Bruce explained as the five stared at the pager in its case.

Steve continued to stare at it, not understanding how they couldn't get it to work, "I thought we bypassed the battery?"

"We did. It's still plugged in, it just... just stopped." Rhodey added, having been watching the pager as diligently as Steve and Natasha had watched the media information pouring in from around the globe.

Steve looked up at the mechanism that had been giving Fury's device life before looking back to it, giving orders to Bruce, "Reboot it. Send the signal again."

"We, we don't even know what this is-" Banner stammered at Steve's request, gesturing to the device he'd spent days monitoring.

"Fury did." Natasha breathed, reliving the loss of her mentor again as she turned to Rhodey, "Just do it, please. Let me know the second you get a signal. I wanna know who's on the other end of that thing."

As Natasha turned to leave, she came face to face with a stranger in a red and blue suit. Kayla quickly yanked Natasha back before Steve could pull her behind him and she took a fighting stance, protecting Natasha and Steve against the invader. "Who the hell are you?"

"Where's Fury?" The woman asked, and Kayla took a deep breath as she lowered her arms. Kayla watched the blonde woman curiously, lifting her chin defiantly as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Steve stood beside his wife, placing his left hand on her upper thigh to gently push her back as he approached the mysterious person, "First answer her question. Who are you? Where did you come from?"

"My name is Carol Danvers. I'm a friend of Nick Fury's. I gave him that pager so he could get ahold of me in case of emergency, I haven't heard from him in over twenty years. Why is he paging me now?" Carol demanded, taking a step closer to Steve and Kayla, but the two super soldiers stood their ground, realizing they were finally getting the answers they had been seeking.

Natasha spoke up from behind Kayla, "Nick was a victim of Thanos. Along with fifty percent of all living creatures in the universe."

"How do you know that?" Carol questioned, looking past the tall blonde to the shorter spy behind her. "How do you know Fury?"

"He was the Director of Shield. He was the one who founded the Avengers." Natasha choked out, batting her eyes to keep the tears at bay.

"Avengers? That's cute." Carol chuckled, a smile painting her features for the first time. "You said Thanos did this? That's all I need to know. I've seen the chaos ripple through the universe. For days I've heard distress calls from planets throughout the galaxy."

"Where exactly did you come from?" Rhodey prodded, catching on to the words 'around the universe'.

"From outer space." She answered easily, causing her fists to glow. "I'm half Kree. It's an alien race. Long story. I need to go find this Thanos."

Kayla grabbed onto Steve's bicep as she surged even closer to Carol. "You can move through space? What if-"

"What if Stark is still out there?" Steve finished, moving past Carol into the other room where the holographic screens were still counting the reported deaths. "You think you could look for someone? Tony Stark, he's a friend."

"When Thanos's goons attacked New York he followed Doctor Strange and the Time Stone into space. I think- I think Spiderman was with him." Bruce stuttered, catching Kayla's attention as Steve pulled up a photo of Stark on the holographic screen.

"Spiderman?" Kayla asked, taking a step toward Bruce as Natasha followed Carol and Steve into the other room. "Peter... Peter was on the ship? I didn't see him on the news reports as missing like Stark was."

"He never came back," Bruce answered, seeing the light go out of Kayla's green eyes as her shoulders slumped. "I-I could be wrong-"

"We'll have to start going through the names of those who vanished. See for sure. One thing at a time. Maybe he is with Tony." Kayla shrugged as she moved into the room to see Steve and Natasha on either side of Carol, explaining what they knew as Rhodey went to collect Rocket.

Bruce grabbed Kayla's arm, and she turned to her former idol, her jaw tight. Bruce sighed, lowing his head as he spoke quietly, "They are most likely both dead, Kay. If not from Thanos, then from fighting aliens in space. I wouldn't get your hopes up."

"We'll keep the faith until we are given a reason not to." Kayla smiled at Bruce, seeing a chance to make things right for the first time with the appearance of Carol Danvers.

Kayla looked around for her puppy, finally seeing him sniffing Carol's leg. The woman looked down and smiled warmly at the Rhodesian as Buddy put his front paws on her thigh. Kayla quickly scooped him up, cuddling him nervously. "Sorry about him. He's... learning manners."

"It's fine. I'm more of a cat person, but he's cute." Carol assured Kayla as she scanned the photo of Tony into her forearm. "I'll go out and look for your friend. It may take some time. Keep the pager charged. I'll send you a message if I find anything. I've got a few other places I need to check on, but, you know how to get a hold of me if you find out anything about Thanos."

"Thank you, Captain," Steve said, shaking the woman's hand as he smiled, his teeth appearing briefly beneath his long beard.

"Captain?" Kayla raised her brow in question.

"Don't worry about it." Carol winked and led the way out of the base before taking off in flight, blasting off into the bleak night like a shooting star.

Kayla's jaw hung open as she held Buddy, staring up into the sky alongside Natasha and Steve. "That's cool."

"She thinks we can fix this. She thinks we can bring them all back." Natasha explained, never taking her eyes off of the spot Carol disappeared into.

Kayla nodded, looking up at Steve. "Do you? Do you think we can bring them all back?"

Steve looked at his wife as the puppy ran his tongue along her neck, but Kayla's eyes were trained on Steve. "I do. I'll do whatever I have to bring them back."

"Whatever it takes," Kayla muttered, taking a deep breath before leaving Steve and Natasha to go back downstairs to their home.

Once Kayla was out of earshot, Natasha turned to Steve, "How is she doing?"

"Not great. Banner wants her to rest, but, she can't sleep. She doesn't want to eat. He thinks she has permanent damage to her abdomen." Steve continued to stare out into the darkness of upstate New York. They were far from the nearest city, but, even still everything seemed far too quiet.

Natasha looked down at the ground, shoving her hands into the pockets of her black jacket. "I can't imagine what she's going through. Either of you."

"Yes. You can. We are all going through the same thing." Steve countered, knowing Nat was very emotional about the fallout of their failure, something he hadn't seen from the assassin in all the years he'd known her. He'd seen her vulnerable and he'd seen her scared, but he'd never seen her so distraught.

Nat looked up at Steve fondly, "You don't have to put on such a brave face for me Rogers. It's different-"

Steve sighed, looking down at Natasha knowingly after all their years together, "I mean what I said. I'll do whatever it takes to bring them back. To bring back our friends, our family. My son."

"Let's get some rest. The world will still be crumbling tomorrow." Natasha patted Steve on the arm of his thin white t-shirt. He was weary, but he needed to be there for his wife. She put on a brave face for the rest of them, but Nat knew how hard she cried when she thought the others couldn't hear her.

* * *

"So, that lady is from outer space." Kayla's garbled voice escaped as she brushed her teeth. "And I thought you were the most exciting thing in the universe."

"Very funny." Steve shouldered her, grabbing his own toothbrush from the drawer under the sink. "Natasha's worried about you."

"The feeling is mutual," Kayla mumbled as she spit into the sink, running the water to rinse her mouth before she continued, grabbing a navy blue hand towel to wipe her face. "It's really bad right now. Like, really bad, but we'll figure something out. We always do. Good prevails because we are willing to do the hard things. We won't just avenge the world, we'll set it right."

Steve's eyes softened as he smiled through his brushing, staring at Kayla in the large mirror ahead. "Since when did you become so good at inspirational speeches. I always thought that was my job. Rallying the troops and all that."

Kayla pulled her grey hoodie over her head, wincing as she did so. Steve put his left arm around her, holding her to his side as she leaned into him while he brushed his teeth. "It is your job. Rally the troops. My job is to inspire you to go on."

"I'm going to fix this."

"You keep saying that, and I'm starting to think you are trying to convince yourself instead of me." Kayla countered as Steve spit out the toothpaste and accepted the towel Kayla handed him before she went to work brushing out her long blonde hair. "I don't doubt that we'll do it. We have to. What have we got to lose?"

"That's what you said to Wanda before the fight in Sokovia," Steve grumbled, snatching the brush from Kayla's hand and going to work brushing her hair himself as she stared into the mirror silently. "There's always more to lose Kay."

He looked up and met her gaze, neither having to speak. They had each other. They were lucky that way.

"Alright, all the tangles are out. Time for bed." Steve said, sparing a glance at the brush before Kayla could quickly pluck it away to clean it out, but Steve had proof of his suspicions. "Your hair is falling out."

"Blondes lose more hair than any other hair color-"

"Kay." Steve cut her off as she shoved the brush back into the drawer, pinning her gently against the counter so she couldn't escape him, "Please don't go dark on me. I need you."

She turned around, her lower back was pressed against the sink and her chest was pressed against her husband. "I'm not going anywhere, Steve."

Steve placed a hand gently at the nape of Kayla's neck, under her long, heavy hair, and she involuntarily winced at the action. "Why is your skin so sensitive?"

"Fine, I've been in a dark place the past few days, sue me." Kayla shoved Steve back a step, quickly sidestepping her husband to get back into the bedroom. "I'm trying so hard Steve..." She trailed off as she pulled back the sheets and climbed into their large bed.

"I know darling, I know. I just need to make sure you are okay. You- you're all I've got left." Steve stumbled, sitting beside Kay on her side of the bed.

She squished her face incredulously, telling Steve he was being overdramatic, "That's not true. You have Nat. You have Bruce, Rhodey. Rocket, I guess?"

"But you are my family. I answer to you." Steve told her quietly, leaning over to give her a kiss on the forehead. "From now on, everything is for you. And you alone."

Kayla laughed and pushed Steve playfully, causing him to slip a little and slide off the mattress, "No, no you need to make things right for everybody. We have to try. Look at poor Nat, her survivor's guilt is killing her. Look around, at... everyone. Every- thing. Even Sasa is miserable without Zaddi."

As Kayla gestured to the dog, she looked up, mouth closed. She lacked the happy, goofy demeanor of Kayla's dog. Damn, she missed that dog.

"I just don't want to lose you. I've never lost a fight before Thanos. I've sacrificed everything for everyone else, and you are the one good thing I haven't lost. I can't risk losing you." Steve explained as he slid into the covers, his eyes dark as he looked toward Kayla.

She leaned over, kissing Steve sweetly as she rested her hand on his cheek, "We live together, or we die together. You'll never be without me again. I promise." With that, Kayla wiggled closer and Steve slung his arm over her side, holding his wife close as he fell into a restless sleep.


	85. Chapter 85

**Two Weeks Later**

"It's been three weeks Steve... I think we need to venture out of the compound." Kayla suggested, staring out the window of the Avengers living area. The large picture windows overlooked a painfully quiet world. Even the birds had stopped singing after Thanos decimated half of them.

The super soldier stroked his beard as he stared at his wife, his face expressionless. "I don't know. I'm... scared... of what we are gonna find out there. I'd rather you stay here. If you really need something I'll go out."

Kayla crossed her arms and leaned against the window, pressing her hip against the glass as she looked over her shoulder at Steve. "I'd kill for some orange juice and pop tarts. You know how long it has been since I've had a freaking pop tart? It's the little things."

Steve laughed at her, crossing over to the window and wrapping his arms around her, pulling Kayla from the glass to hold her close. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple, but she swatted him playfully, causing him to pull his face away and pout. "What?"

"Your beard tickles," Kayla admitted, scratching the hair on his chin. He creased his brows, seeing this as a challenge.

"Oh really?" Steve threatened, tightening his grip around her and pulling her flush against him, "What about this?" Steve kissed her neck and she laughed, trying to pull away as he rubbed his beard up the edge of her jaw, planting kisses on her cheek.

"Stop! Stop, you are the worst!" Kayla squealed as she tried to wiggle away, but as strong as she was, she couldn't escape Captain America's grip, especially when he scooped her up by the butt. She wrapped her legs around Steve and grabbed his face, looking down into his blue eyes. "I love you Steve Rogers."

"And I love you, Kayla Rogers." Steve echoed as she finally offered him a kiss. "I'll go out and get you pop tarts and orange juice."

"I want to come with you. Please. You won't let anything happen to me. I just have to get out. I'm tired of watching Nat cry and Thor sulk, and so help me, if Bruce gives me one more forlorn glance I'm going to choke the green right out of him..." Kayla ran her fingers through Steve's blonde hair, her gentle action betraying her threatening words.

"Alright. Whatever you want honey." Steve sighed as he set her down, but she kept her left hand on his cheek, and once he released her, Steve grabbed her hand and kept it pressed against his cheek, "Are you... sure you are okay?"

"I'm as okay as I can be honey." Kayla admitted as Steve pulled her hand away and kissed it, "Are you?"

"I'm sad. Of course, I'm sad, I'm over one hundred years old, and... things haven't really gone my way. We were so close Kay... he was almost here, and then-" Steve leaned his forehead against Kayla's, pressing his eyes closed as he stifled a cough. Kayla didn't call him out for being on the verge of tears. She mourned while Steve tried to find Thanos. After three weeks of no leads, no information, and no contact from Iron Man- Steve had started to accept what their failure had caused. Half the universe was gone, including his child and the life he had once dreamt about...

"Hey, hey... we aren't giving up. Carol is out there somewhere, looking for answers, looking for Tony. This isn't over. We are going to get him back. Do you understand me?" Kayla asked, holding Steve's face close to hers as she breathed deeply, grounding him before he began to spiral, "But right now, pop tarts honey, pop tarts."

"Pop tarts," Steve returned, shaking his head away from Kayla's hands as he took a step away, pulling the sleeves of his blue sweater farther down his arms. "Want to take the bike?"

"Is it still here?" Kayla perked up as she followed Steve down to the garage, zipping up her black turtleneck jacket as they reached the elevator.

Once downstairs, Steve led Kayla to his old Harley. When Kayla got close, she took a deep intake of breath and blew a heavy covering of dust off of the motorcycle as Steve grabbed a hand towel nearby and began to wipe off the remaining dust. "What a beaut."

"Let's get out of here. Please." Kayla bopped up and down on the balls of her feet, her hands shoved into her jacket pockets. It wasn't necessarily cold, but it was eerie, and both Steve and Kayla felt the need to hide in the face of the devastation.

Steve straddled the bike and Kayla swung on behind him, settling against his back as she wrapped her arms around his torso. "You ready?" Steve asked, looking over his shoulder. He was surprised Tony hadn't sold his Harley, and it was nice to have something that was still his.

Steve didn't wait for Kayla to answer, because he revved the engine and spun the bike around, zooming away from the Avengers compound for the first time in weeks.

* * *

Steve slowed his bike to a stop and put down the kickstand outside of a local grocery store. It was dark inside, and the glass doors were shattered. Steve put his arm out, keeping Kayla behind him as he approached the store before he motioned for her to follow. He stepped over the glass and looked around, seeing the shop empty. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

"Please... please take whatever you want. I don't- I don't want any trouble-" A cashier said as they moved around a shelf, watching the two wearily.

Kayla crossed in front of Steve to the woman, placing her hands up to show she meant no harm. "If you aren't open, we can leave-"

The lady came farther out into the store, studying Steve and Kayla curiously, "You aren't here to loot the store?"

"Loot the store?" Steve said as he looked around, realizing what had been happening, "Oh, uh, no. We were hoping to buy some stuff."

"Are you okay?" Kayla asked, taking another step closer, but the woman backed away instinctively, looking over her shoulder to the door. Kayla and Steve both turned to see three figured dressed in black with ski masks entering through the broken glass.

"We are gonna take what we need. We don't want any trouble. Got it?" The one figure asked, and Steve's eyes narrowed in on him as the shrouded figure pointed a gun at the super soldier.

Kayla cracked her neck and her knuckles, turned toward the woman with a sly grin, "Don't you worry about a thing. We'll take care of it."

While the man was distracted by Kayla's promise, Steve easily disarmed him by grabbing his wrist and squeezing until the man whimpered and dropped the gun. The other two clearly didn't have any weapons, because they started backing up toward the door, one of them yelling, "You're on your own man!"

"Who the hell are you people?" He asked, looking up closer at Steve, analyzing his face beneath the beard. "You look familiar."

Before he could start guessing, Kayla grabbed onto his neck and leaned in, squeezing his windpipe as she did, "Don't worry about it punk. Get lost, or you'll regret it."

Once Kayla released him, the man ran out of the store, looking back over his shoulder as Kayla shot daggers at him. Steve looked back toward the woman, who was shaking. "It's been like that for the past week. Everyone is freaking out. Nobody else has come into work since it happened. I've been sleeping here... Thank you- for being so kind."

"It's kind of what we do," Kayla explained with a grim smile. "Are you sure you are safe here? There must be somewhere for you to go?"

"I'll be fine. I appreciate your help with them. They've come in every day. Hopefully, now they won't."

Steve looked to Kayla, then looked outside the store as he heard police sirens. "Perhaps we should have stayed at home."

Kayla's face fell as she followed Steve's glance, seeing the cars race down the street past all the abandoned cars. They had at least cleared a path for drivers to move from place to place, but, it seemed that no one was really going out. Kayla turned back to the cashier, then looked toward the isles of ransacked food. "You don't have any pop tarts for sale do you?"

* * *

As Steve raced the Harley back toward the Avengers compound, Kayla pressed her face against his back, deep in thought. She'd been feeling pretty low after Thanos, but, seeing the world in such a state of regress terrified her beyond comprehension. They couldn't hide in the compound forever. Eventually, they'd have to venture out and create some sort of life in this devastated world. Kayla couldn't help but regret the past two years that she spent fighting alongside Steve, Nat, and Sam. They could have been living.

What a waste of precious time.

Steve parked the bike quickly and allowed Kayla to dismount first before following her, noticing she was terribly quiet. "Kay?"

"It's just so dark out there Steve. It's just so bleak and hopeless. I've been holed up in the little world of the Avengers for the past four years and now I see the future. It's this, but it's neverending... What if we can't fix this? What if we can't bring everyone back? Look at it Steve... this is so much bigger than us..." Kayla looked over her shoulder out of the garage as Steve typed the pad to close the door, protecting Kayla from her terrors. Her green eyes were wide as she rested her right hand on her toned stomach.

"We'll fix this. I promised you I would, and I will. Somehow." Steve assured his wife, but his voice faltered. His promise was becoming rehearsed, and his heart wasn't in it anymore. He was scared too.

Kayla led the way back up to the main kitchen of the compound, toting her boxes of pop tarts. She let the load tumble onto the counter, earning an unamused look from Natasha. "I see you found your pop tarts."

"It wasn't worth it," Kayla grumbled, plopping onto the tan couch next to Rocket.

"What's a pop tart?" The raccoon asked, looking up at the boxes she'd deposited on the counter.

Thor lumbered into the kitchen, and gave a small smile when he saw the pastries, "They are a Midgardian delicacy." He grabbed a whole box and began to open up all the of the packages, planning to eat them all. Anything to distract from the guilt that consumed him.

"Oh, God." Rhodey mumbled as he wandered past the group, heading back to his room.

"How bad is it out there?" Natasha asked quietly, pushing her short platinum hair behind her ear.

Kayla just looked up at her sadly, swallowing as she collected her thoughts, "Pretty bad. We almost got mugged at the store. The cashier is living there. Nobody's working. Nobody's moving about. It's just... silent."

"I'm making dinner tonight. Pasta. If that's okay. Just come and get it when you are hungry." Natasha offered as she moved to stand in front of the couch, wearing a grey hoodie and skinny jeans. She was trying so hard to lift the team's spirits, but it was no use. Even Steve was losing the faith, something none of them had ever seen before.

Kayla stood and hugged Natasha, trying to show her appreciation to Nat. The taller blonde just nodded, and Nat forced a smile before heading back to the kitchen with Kayla following her to help make dinner.

"I heard something about pasta?" Bruce asked as he wandered into the living area, seeing Thor settle in Kayla's spot next to Rocket as Steve leaned against the wall. His arms were crossed as his hiking boot rested flat against the lower wall. The soldier looked deep in thought as he stared into the kitchen, watching his wife and friend work on boiling water and slicing tomatoes. Bruce cleared his throat as he approached, wanting to warn the soldier of the impending conversation. "How is she doing?"

"She was fine until we left the compound. She wanted to get out of here so bad. She doesn't like what she saw."

"That bad huh?" Bruce inquired as he rubbed the back of his neck anxiously.

Steve just nodded once, looking at Bruce out of the corner of his eye, "I've gone out to town a couple of times when she was busy. I knew she wouldn't like it, but, I can't keep her trapped here."

"How has she been feeling?" Bruce pressed, looking over at Kayla as she laughed with Natasha, sticking her finger in the pasta sauce to test it, despite its boiling temperature. "She seems to be a little better. I'd like to run a few more tests if you could convince her to see me-"

"She won't," Steve answered shortly, finally turning to fully face the doctor. "Her stomach seems fine. She's healing quickly from the serum. I'm not worried."

Bruce looked up at the Captain, shaking his head in disbelief, "That's foolish Cap. You gotta know that. Kayla has permanent damage to her abdomen... Last I checked it wasn't healing correctly. There's a chance she can never get pregnant again."

"We aren't trying to-" Steve started, feeling his face heat up at such talk.

Bruce cut him off, leaning forward and grabbing Steve's arm, "Maybe not now, but don't you think she'll want to try again?"

"This conversation is finished, Doctor." Steve quipped darkly, turning his back on Banner and heading into the kitchen to check on Kayla and Nat. Bruce saw his demeanor change as he got closer to his wife. He loosened his jaw, and forced a smile under his thick beard, trying to convince the two women everything was fine, even though that's what the two had been doing for each other.

After dinner, Steve and Kayla walked hand in hand back to their apartment. Once the door was closed, Kayla unzipped her jacket and discarded it on a kitchen chair before beginning to unbutton her bright blue blouse. Steve poured water into several dog bowls as the brood of Rhodesians came barrelling from the bedroom for their dinner. "Hey, hey, sit," Steve commanded, and all three of the female dogs plopped down obediently. The little runt continued to stare up at Steve, wagging his tail as he waited for the soldier to pour kibble into their individual bowls. "Little shit." Steve breathed at the puppy, and Kayla fake gasped, causing Steve to add, "Don't say it."

Kayla stood up straight and closed her mouth, putting her hands up in defense. "I didn't say anything. Nothing at all."

"Yeah, but you wanted to." Steve teased as he poured food for the dogs, giving them the go-ahead to start eating, "I'm gonna shave."

Steve said it so casually that Kayla almost didn't catch it, but then she raised her head, brows creased, "Really?"

"Yeah."

Kayla nodded, surprise evident on her face. "Alright. I'll see you in a bit then." Kayla crawled under the covers, wearing only her leggings and sports bra. She went to work braiding her long hair, preparing to contain it for the evening. Steve locked himself in the bathroom, needing to be alone with his thoughts for a while.

After finishing her braid, Kayla swung her legs over the bed and wandered over to her dresser, opening the top drawer and taking out an old journal. Alone, she allowed herself a few minutes to study its contents, biting on the edge of her pen as she leaned against the headboard. Suddenly, there was a clattering coming from the dresser, and Kayla stood, realizing it was shaking. She looked around as she realized the whole building was shaking.

The bathroom door swung open just as she reached for the handle, and a clean-shaven Steve Rogers stood on the other side, taking Kayla in with wide eyes, even though he was the one who was practically unrecognizable. "Hey, handsome."

"What the hell is causing this?" Steve responded, pulling his black sweater back over his white undershirt as he sprinted toward the apartment door. Kayla chased after him, grabbing her black jacket from the kitchen chair and pulling it over her sports bra as she followed her husband.


	86. Chapter 86

"Hey Cap-" Bruce started as Steve sprinted past him toward the doors of the living quarters leaving the compound. Natasha appeared around the corner and kept pace with Kayla behind Steve as he led them out into the cool night air.

"We got a message from Danvers. She found them." Rhodey explained as he gestured towards the open field beyond the buildings, and a massive space ship rounded the corner, carried by a golden orb of light.

"They're alive." Kayla gasped, seeing Pepper in the clearing, waiting for the ship to land. "Tony's alive."

"Well, he was when Carol found him anyway," Rhodes explained nervously, looking toward Steve as the ship was deposited onto the grass by the Kree woman. Carol looked back at the group, seeing the relieved and anxious faces that awaited the man she'd found dying onboard the Benatar.

As the gangplank was lowered, they saw a blue alien holding up Tony, helping him toward the ground below. Steve ran past the others to help his dying teammate, easily taking the weight off of the blue woman's hands as Tony looked up at her thankfully.

"I couldn't stop him." Tony breathed as Steve helped him walk back to the others.

"Neither could I." Steve assured Stark breathlessly, but Tony leaned back, causing Steve to stop and face him.

Guilt and terror plagued Tony's face in a way that was unrecognizable to Steve. Kayla hung back with Natasha as Pepper continued to sprint toward the men, ready to see her fiance again. Tony didn't even see her approaching though, because his mind was on one thing as he whispered, "I lost the kid."

There was a beat as Steve took in his words, then he leaned in, trying so hard to convince Stark it wasn't his fault. "Tony- _we_ lost."

Tony stared at Steve, unable to look away from the soldier's face as he tried not to look around at who was left, tried to hold back his tears that lived in his eyes, "Yeah... Is, umm-"

"Oh my God!" Pepper exclaimed as she reached her fiance, looking him up and down quickly and seeing how sickly he looked. Tony visibly sighed when he saw her, his worst fears untrue. He had something to keep on living for. Pepper gently enveloped Tony in a hug, wrapping her arm around his neck to hold him close as she sobbed against his hollow cheek. Tony breathed in Pepper as if the strawberry blonde gave him life again. He finally had some sense of peace after twenty-two days of waiting to die, believing he'd never know if she lived or not.

Steve watched them with an unreadable expression, something between guilt and bitterness laid in his tense jaw and long face. Kayla finally reached them as Tony pressed a firm kiss on Pepper's cheek. Pepper stared at Steve and Kayla for a moment as she cried, but Tony didn't acknowledge the blonde as he turned and allowed Steve to lead him toward the others. Rhodey approached Tony, offering him the same gentle hug Pepper had while Natasha and Bruce waited patiently nearby for their turn to greet Stark.

Kayla grabbed Steve hand and squeezed it, never taking her eyes off of Tony. "He's alone... it's just... just her..." Kayla gestured toward the blue alien who sat on the gangplank, holding Rocket's hand as they sat together silently. "What happened to Peter?"

Tony turned at Kayla's words and opened his mouth to speak, but Natasha hugged the billionaire, distracting him from Kayla again. Steve leaned his face low to Kayla's ear so his whisper couldn't be heard, "He's gone, Kay."

Kayla's breath hitched and she gasped as she imagined the young boy with the bright eyes dying. Kayla dove into Steve's chest and he held her as she wheezed, her sadness appearing as a panic attack at Spiderman's demise. Kayla hadn't even realized she hadn't zipped her jacket until she felt Steve's calloused fingers stroking her bare stomach while his other arm held her close to him. Kayla's lip quivered as she looked up at Steve, eyes sad again at another death of someone she once knew.

"What?" Tony exclaimed happily, backing away from Pepper after she whispered in his ear. "You're... we're-"

Kayla and Steve perked up at his excitement, not understand what could bring the man such happiness after being on the brink of death for so long. Pepper saw Tony catch the Rogers' attention and shushed him quickly, "Shh, Tony, no-"

"Pepper, I knew it. I knew it, I was right... My God, I'm going to be a father." Tony yelped pulling Pepper into a deep kiss before releasing her and yelling to the night sky, "I'm going to be a father!"

"Tony! Tony, stop." Bruce barked as Natasha fiercely covered his mouth to keep him quiet, but the damage was already done. Kayla stumbled toward them as Steve stood frozen away from everyone, unable to speak.

"Stark, you don't understand-" Natasha tried to explain as she held her hand firmly against his face but he pulled away and faltered, Rhodey catching him as he began to speak again.

Tony shook his head, looking from Natasha to Bruce, to Pepper who looked terribly guilty, "No, I don't understand, this is good news. Despite everything that's happened to all of us, this is something _good._ "

"I'm happy for you Tony."

Everyone turned to see Kayla right behind them, shaking like a leaf as Steve stood about twenty feet back, staring toward the compound with dead eyes. Carol approached Kayla, having heard the whole conversation and seeing that she was very upset about Tony's news. While everyone had tried to stop Tony from declaring his fatherhood to the world, Kayla had practically convulsed from trying to keep her sobs in check. Carol put a strong hand on Kayla's bicep, but Kayla walked away from her touch, embracing Tony in a hug as everyone looked on.

When she pulled away, she wasn't able to contain her tears anymore, and Tony found them streaming freely from her eyes. He looked her up and down, and his eyes fell on her scarred stomach that her open jacket revealed. "Kay... what happened to you?"

"I didn't want you to find out like this... I'm so sorry, I wanted to find the right time..." Pepper grabbed the girl from Tony and engulfed her in a hug, and Kayla received it graciously, holding the woman tightly without hurting her. "I should have waited to tell Tony until we were alone-"

"No, no look at him, he clearly needs some good news." Kayla forced a laugh that broke Natasha's heart and made Tony's face fall again, his good news pushed to the wayside as he looked from Kayla to Steve, seeing the man who had been so comforting, so apologetic standing far away, unable to meet Tony's eye.

"Kayla was in labor when Thanos arrived in Wakanda. The baby was decimated before she was able to give birth." Natasha answered Tony's silent question without needing to be prompted. Natasha turned to meet Tony's gaze and saw the horror set into Tony's dark eyes as he realized what he had done. He quickly grabbed Kayla back from Pepper and held the woman tightly, pressing the back of her head with his hand so he could hold her close as he wordlessly apologized.

"Let's get inside. You need medical attention now Tony." Bruce ordered as he gently grabbed his friend's arm, pulling him from Kayla. Kayla didn't move as the group led Tony back to the compound, she stayed still, watching them leave.

Carol approached Kayla again as Rocket and his friend started following the others back to the building. Carol looked Kayla up and down, and the super soldier just side-eyed the other blonde, not saying anything as she was studied. Finally, Carol spoke, "We'll get your child back. You'll get a chance to hold him in your arms. We'll kill Thanos for what he's done."

Kayla nodded as she took a deep breath, "Yeah, I think I'd like that." She turned and met Carol's eyes with a grim smile, "Thank you for finding him. I don't know what Pepper would have done if you hadn't."

"Don't worry about it. I'm gonna stick around for a while. It's been a long flight." Danvers chuckled and Kayla motioned toward the headquarters with her chin.

"Go. Rest. You've done enough for us all today." As Carol left, Kayla turned to see Steve still standing in the clearing between her and the Benatar, having not moved an inch since he heard Tony's proclamation. Kayla walked slowly towards him, looking up at him questioningly as he stared after the Avengers. "Steve?"

At her voice, Steve snapped out of his trance and looked at his wife's tear-streaked cheeks. "I can't believe it-"

"We are happy for them." Kayla corrected, resting her palm on Steve's clean-shaven cheek, "This is great news. It's important to have some good news right about now."

Steve clenched his jaw, looking back up at the giant A that adorned the compound as he huffed, "He was almost here. We almost had a son. It's not fair."

"No. No, it's not fair." Kayla argued, applying more pressure to Steve's cheek so he'd meet her eyes again, "But just because we lost our child doesn't mean we get to be angry they didn't. I would never wish that on Tony. I knew you wouldn't either."

Steve smoothed down the hair leading to Kayla's long braid, his lip quivering a little as he released the tension in his jaw. "I know you are right, but just once in my life, I want to be selfish. I want to have something good."

Kayla scoffed, placing her hands on her hips defensively as she glared up at her husband, "What am I? Chopped liver?"

"No, no no, you are the best thing in my life!" Steve backtracked, throwing his hands up to quickly grasp Kayla's shoulders, "You are so, so good... but I wanted the family. I wanted a happy ending, and I wanted you to be a mom. You would be such a good mom." He finished as he pressed his forehead to hers fondly, a gesture that had come to comfort Kayla more than anything in the universe, even if he was trying to get her to forgive him for his slip up moments earlier.

"This isn't over Steve. With Tony back, we can fix this. We can get Thanos, and bring them all back. We are going to get our son back." Kayla promised defiantly as she leaned into Steve. "Let's get some rest tonight. Tomorrow we'll get the team together, and we'll figure out where Thanos is. Between Carol, Tony, Thor, and Rocket, I'm sure somebody is going to have some ideas. Don't give up hope on me Rogers. We'll make a father of you yet."

Steve's right side twitched into a brief smile. He hadn't been ready for the arrival of his son, but once Steve lost him, he knew he'd made a mistake. He was ready and willing to bring that child into the world. He didn't want to believe Banner's words that Kayla wasn't able to have children anymore, but he knew the doctor was probably right. Steve had nightmares about that day in Wakanda, Bruce slicing open Kayla while she was awake and whimpering. The pain she went through three weeks ago, just so she could live knowing it could never be more than the two of them.

But tonight, there was hope.

Steve took Kayla's left hand in his and kissed it, playing with her wedding ring between his fingers as he led her back to the compound. They didn't go to see the others again that night. Nobody was surprised when they didn't.

Back in their apartment, Kayla sat on the bed as she had been before the arrival of the Benatar, looking through her notebook while Steve leaned against the dresser, watching her. "What are you working on?"

"Nothing," Kayla said nonchalantly as she continued reading her scribbled notes from years gone by. "I just..." She looked up, meeting Steve's concerned eyes as he waited for her to continue, "I might get back to work, that's all."

"Back to work... on the serum?" Steve questioned, crawling into the bed from the foot to flop down beside his wife. "Why?"

"Because I hate moping about and feeling useless, and it would give me something to do." Kayla snapped back, but her anger wasn't directed at Steve. He looked up at her, his brow raised as he caught her eye, and she quickly leaned down and gave him a quick kiss.

Steve smiled as her lips parted from his, but he wasn't finished with the conversation, "Are you sure more super soldiers is a good idea?"

Kayla took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose as she closed the notebook, setting in on her nightstand, "I was thinking more of the anti-serum. More super soldiers are dangerous, but an anti-serum... it could have real-world applications."

Steve's brows drew together as he looked straight up at the ceiling, "It would kill a regular person. It's what happened to you. You sure you want that on your conscious?"

"I think, depending on the situation, it would be worse on my conscious knowing I could make it and I didn't." Steve turned his head to look at Kayla, and he realized what she was planning. He opened his mouth to ask, but she cut him off, "Besides, there are other creatures in this world besides humans. It may be necessary to use the anti-serum on them, don't you think?"

"I'm not letting you anywhere near Thanos." Steve blurted, and it was Kayla's turn to be surprised as she pulled off her jacket and discarded it on the floor before turning out the light. "I know you want to get revenge, but remember what happened with Rumlow? It turned out so much worse."

"I never said the anti-serum was for Thanos." Kayla disputed as she stretched out her legs, bumping into Sasa who was already sleeping at the foot of their bed, "But I mean if the situation arose, you may be thankful for it."

"I love you, Kayla. I support you getting back to work, as long as you use your knowledge for good instead of evil this time." Steve teased as he turned over, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her closer, "Please don't do anything that could get you hurt. I'd be so lost without you."

"Same goes for you. For once in your life, have some impulse control." Kayla outwardly laughed as she draped her arm across Steve's white shirt. "You know, I'm feeling a lot better... maybe we could..."

Steve's eyes were already closed at the start of her sentence, but by the end, his smile reached across his whole face, and Captain America wiggled out of his sweatpants as Kayla smirked at him.


	87. Chapter 87

It was around noon the next day when Tony wheeled himself out into the kitchen from the makeshift hospital room Bruce and Rhodey had set up for him the night before. Kayla felt sick looking at the man because he was so thin and malnourished she could barely recognize him.

"Should have started working through the night, could have him fixed up in no time," Kayla muttered under her breath and Steve looked at her with fire in his eyes.

"Kayla..." He warned, and she shook her finger at him chastising.

"I'm kidding." She groaned, but she didn't smile, she wasn't kidding, and she was really upset about Tony's state of health. "He'd hate that."

"I'd hate that."

"We'd all hate that." Kayla countered, finally offering her husband a smile as Tony wheeled close enough to listen in on their conversation. "How are you feeling?" She asked the genius, and Tony rubbed his hands across his face. He didn't answer Kayla, but shot her a dirty look and wheeled himself over to the screens that Natasha had playing over the round table in the study area. Kayla nodded, pressing her lips together at the crabby man, "Alright then."

Steve grabbed Kayla by the hand and led her to the area where the others were crowded around screens looking at everyone they knew who had been dusted. Steve leaned against a desk next to Natasha while Kayla stood farther back, not able to face the truth before them.

Bucky.

Sam.

Wanda.

Peter.

All gone.

"World governments are in pieces. The parts that are still working, are trying to take a census. And it looks like he did-" Natasha paused as she swallowed, "He did exactly what he said he was going to do. Thanos wiped out fifty percent of all living creatures."

Kayla placed a hand on her stomach, able to feel her scar through the thin fabric of her purple tank top. She felt a shiver run down her spine to her toes, a feeling of hopelessness that she'd been fighting off for weeks finally fighting its way into her reality. The faces of the dead swirling in front of her until Natasha turned the screens off so the group could see each other.

"Where is he now? Where?" Tony pressured Steve, looking up at the soldier from the wheelchair he was connected to through an IV.

Steve sighed as he admitted, "We don't know. He just- opened a portal and walked through." Steve looked to Natasha then back to Tony, feeling guilty that he had nothing to offer as far as information for his team. Kayla walked up beside him and rubbed his upper arm as she leaned her jaw against his shoulder.

Tony was unhappy with Steve's answer and bit the inside of his mouth, setting his sights on Thor and gesturing to the demi-god, "What's wrong with him?"

"He's pissed." Rocket said from his seat by the wall, "Thinks he failed. Which, of course, he did, but you know, there's a lot of that going around, ain't there?"

Kayla took a deep breath, making the wise decision to keep her mouth shut, as opposed to starting an argument. The team was on eggshells. The reemergence of Tony Stark reopened the pain of losing, and the dynamic was broken after their civil war. Steve was devastated by personal loss, and Tony had been driven mad by his failure.

Tony leaned forward in his chair, mouth agape at the talking raccoon, "Honestly, at this exact second, I thought you were a Build-a-Bear."

"Maybe I am." Rocket answered, and Steve decided to take back the conversation.

"We've been hunting Thanos for three weeks now. Deep space scans, and satellites, and we got nothing. Tony, you fought him-"

Tony crunched his brows together, staring at Steve wildly, "Who told you that? I didn't fight him." He tilted his head, voice quieting, "No, he wiped my face with a planet while a Bleecker Street magician gave away the stone. That's what happened. There was no fight."

Steve cut off Tony as he began to ramble on, "Okay, Did he give you any clue? Any coordinates, anything?"

"Tony, please." Kayla asked slowly, taking a step forward until she was just in front of Steve, staring down at her black heeled boots, "You must have some information we can use."

Tony blew air out through his lips as he gave almost a lazy salute Steve, saying he knew nothing, but Steve narrowed his eyes, trying to get a read on his old friend. Natasha silently groaned, looking to Steve as she rolled her eyes. Kayla crossed her arms, backing into the desk Steve leaned against as she waited impatiently for Tony to continue.

"I saw this coming a few years back. I had a vision, but, I didn't want to believe it. Remember Ellis? I told you." Tony gestured toward Kayla, and she bit down on her tongue, deciding to keep her mouth shut." You knew how awful it was. I watched the light go out of Steve's eyes-I never told you that part. I saw everyone dead. I didn't want to believe it. Thought I was dreaming."

Kayla's fiery temper began to flare, and Steve placed his hand on her shoulder, keeping calm at Tony's words even if they were upsetting his wife. He didn't need to look at her to know her green eyes were ablaze and she was practically growling at the older man. Steve squeezed her arm, but he could feel her tensing, nothing easing her anger toward Stark for telling her friends that she knew his vision, even though she'd kept it a secret despite the tension it caused in her relationship with Steve.

"Tony, I'm going to need you to focus-" Steve started as he stood, taking a step toward Stark and purposely blocking Kayla from the man, knowing that Tony was going off the rails and Kayla was about to crash after him.

Tony tilted his head and looked up at Steve, keeping his voice even, "And I needed you, as in past tense. That trumps what you need. It's too late buddy, sorry."

Steve kept his expression neutral as he breathed deeply, trying not to let Tony know how hurt he was by Stark's words. Steve made a mistake. He made a lot of mistakes.

"You know what I need?" Tony asked as he stood, shoving his hand down and sending his ceramic bowl flying across the table. "I need a shave. And I believe I even remember telling you this-"

Tony began to rip his IV out of his left arm as Rhodey tried to get him to stop. Kayla winced and looked away as Tony continued to rip into Steve. "What we needed was a suit of armor around the world! Remember that? Whether it impacted our precious freedoms or not, that's what we needed."

Steve looked like a kicked puppy as he responded to Tony's accusations, "Well that didn't work out, did it?"

Tony wasn't done destroying Steve Rogers though and continued to lay out all his feelings about the fight between the two of them. "I said we'd lose. You said, 'We'll do that together too.' Well, guess what Cap? We lost, and you weren't there. But that's what we do, right? Our best work after the fact? We're the Avengers? We're the Avengers, not the Prevengers, right?"

"Okay, you made your point. Just sit down, okay?" Rhodey said as he kept Tony from getting to Steve, getting in his best friend's face in order to get Tony to stand down, but he couldn't protect Tony from everyone.

Kayla stormed past Steve and came up behind Rhody, but the Colonial put up his other hand to hold her back as Steve grabbed for her upper arm. "Fuck you Stark, if you wanted Steve around maybe you shouldn't have lied to his fiance to get me into bed. You don't get to blame us for not being around. I would have killed you. You're lucky Steve kept me away, it's taken years for me to forgive you. I mourned you. We all worried sick about you since the news said you were missing. How dare you accuse us of not being here? Fuck you Stark. Fuck you."

"You already did." Tony taunted, leaning past Rhodey to get into Kayla's face, but Rhodey finally pushed him back as Steve grabbed Kayla around the waist and pulled her back as Tony smiled wickedly at her. Kayla kicked at Steve in a blind rage, but he yanked her to the other side of the room as Tony addressed Captain Marvel.

"You're fine Kay, you are fine, calm down. Stop this, please." Steve tried as Kayla began to hyperventilate, her jaw clenched as she stared across the room at Tony like he was her prey and she was waiting to be released for the hunt. "Kayla. Kayla calm down. Please baby." Kayla finally turned to her face to look at Steve and saw how sad his blue eyes looked, and she finally took a deep breath and allowed him to hold her back as he heard Rhodey tell Stark to sit down again.

Stark shoved past Rhodey and stormed toward Steve and Kayla, and Cap turned his back on his wife to block her from Tony, but the billionaire seemed to only care about attacking Steve. "Bunch of tired old wheels. I got nothing for you Cap. I've got no coordinates, no clues, no strategies, no options. Zero, zip, nada. No trust, liar. I never lied to her. I told her you were gone, which was the truth. Maybe if you hadn't broken up the Avengers your kid wouldn't be a pile of _ash_." Tony ripped the arc reactor that held his nanotech off of his chest and shoved it into Steve's hand. Steve looked at it, his head so full of emotion he couldn't even react to what was happening around him. "Here, take this. You find him, and you put that on. You hide-" Before he could finish, Tony collapsed onto the floor.

"Tony!" Steve yelped as he leaned down to help the man up, but Tony rejected him.

"I'm fine." Tony insisted before passing out on the hardwood floor. Carol jumped forward, working on picking him up and taking him back to his medical room while Steve took a step back, staring down at the man.

Kayla was seething, and she felt the back of her neck burning as she worked to steady her breathing. Steve turned back to her, and she met his glance, her expression hard. "Kayla-"

"Don't." She cut him off, pointing at Steve to keep him away, "I'm done with that asshole. I'm done." She stormed away, leaving Steve to stand with Rhodey and Natasha, who avoided the fight by watching Carol carry Tony back to his bed and call for Doctor Banner and Pepper to meet them back upstairs.

* * *

Rhodey left Tony's glass-encased hospital room and rejoined the rest of the team by the large picture windows of the compound, "Bruce gave him a sedative. He's probably going to be out for the rest of the day."

At this, Steve lowered his head in shame, knowing the part he played in Tony's episode, "Maybe he should give one to my wife while he's at it." Steve mumbled under his breath, and Nat shot him a dirty look when she heard it.

"You guys take care of him, and I'll bring him a Zorien Elixer when I come back." Carol started walking away, catching Nat, Steve, and Rhodey off guard.

"Where are you going?" Steve asked, confused at everything she had just said.

"To kill Thanos." Carol deadpanned as she kept walking away. Steve and Natasha turned to each other, then began to follow her through the base.

Natasha caught her first, "Hey, you know we usually work as a team here, and between you and I, morals a little fragile."

"We realize up there is more your territory, but this is our fight too," Steve added, standing behind Natasha as Rhodes leaned against the doorframe behind him.

"Do you even know where he is?" Rhodey asked, not amused by this newcomers determination to kill Thanos alone when all of the Avengers had been overpowered together.

Carol's assurance showed in her eyes as she spoke to the team, "I know people who might."

"Don't bother." A voice came from the doorframe behind Danvers, "I can tell you where Thanos is." Nebula told the team. She continued to explain his plan to retire after wiping out half of all life.

"So where is he?" Steve asked, not hiding the edge in his voice. Kayla reappeared in the far doorway, catching the eye of Steve as she leaned against the metal edge.

Kayla and Steve stared at each other from across the room, deaf to Rocket's answer to Steve's question until they heard Natasha say "He used the stones again." Both turned to see Nat leaning toward a holographic screen looking at a pulsating point on a foreign planet. By now, Bruce realized what the others were thinking, and saw the situation hurtling south quickly.

"Hey hey hey, we'd be going in shorthanded, you know?" Bruce stuttered as Kayla moved closer and closer to the holograph in front of Natasha, seeing her future clear as the planet in front of her.

Rhodey quipped, "But he's still got the stones, so-"

"So let's go get him. And use them to get everyone back." Carol explained, her eyes wide as she looked around the room.

Bruce wasn't convinced of her plan, "Just like that?" He asked incredulously, trying to get the team to realize they were planning a fool's errand.

"Yeah. Just like that." Steve replied, staring at the holograph before looking up to Natasha, who's eye were lighting up for the first time in weeks at the prospect of fixing everything Thanos had broken.

"I mean, even if there's a small chance that we can undo this, we owe it to everyone who's not in this room to try." Natasha argued, her voice breaking at the words.

Kayla looked up to Steve and he took a sharp breath, seeing her hope rising with every word Natasha said, "Our friends. Or families. We can't just sit back, and do nothing. We can't let this opportunity pass, and if we do, Thanos could move. Just because he was there two days ago doesn't mean he'll stay there long. We have to act now."

Bruce was still unconvinced in the plan, trying to get the impulsive members of the group to consider the variables of such a feat. He'd seen how broken they'd become, how much more defeated would they be if they failed? "If we do this, how do we know it's going to end any differently than it did before?"

"Because before you didn't have me," Carol stated confidently, her hands on her hips.

Rhodey began to question Carol about her whereabouts the past twenty years, and Kayla passed Natasha to reach Steve, grabbing his shoulders as she pulled his attention to her, "Steve... this is it. We finally have a chance to set it all right. We get the stones. We bring them back. Sam. Wanda. Bucky. Our son." She whimpered, shaking him back and forth.

"I don't want you to go Kay, it could be dangerous." Steve countered, cupping her cheeks in her hands.

Kayla smirked, shaking her head lightly, "That's why I need to go. Who's going to take care of you? You said it yourself, you aren't going anywhere without me again."

"I hate when you use my words against me, you know that." Steve scoffed, pressing his lips to her forehead quickly before turning to see Thor stand from the table he'd been eating at and trudged toward Carol.

He stared at her, lifting his hand to call Stormbreaker to him. It flew past Captain Marvel, and she didn't even flinch, only smiled at his test. Thor grinned, turning to Natasha, "I like this one."

Steve stared at the alien planet, Kayla hanging on his arm as she matched his gaze, preparing to take her family back. She looked to Steve, an optimistic smile plastered on her face as he spoke, "Let's go get this son of a bitch."


	88. Chapter 88

Author's Note: You guys, I hit 42,000 views this morning and 96 followers. I feel so honored to have created this little thing that people actually enjoy and read, and it means the world to me that you all keep reading. Thank you all so much for your continued support, and I hope you enjoy the conclusion to this **part** of the story.

"We better get moving. There's no time to waste." Nebula said as she looked around at the humans, then motioned for Rocket to follow her, "Let's prepare the Benetar for departure. It's going to need some work."

"Fine- fine, not like I need to pack a bag or anything." Rocket grumbled as the two headed toward the door of the compound.

Natasha grabbed Kayla's arm, and the taller blonde smiled hopefully at her friend before enveloping her in a hug.

"Don't celebrate yet. We've got a long way to go." Carol warned, "We'll leave at twenty-one hundred- that's enough time to prepare."

Kayla tilted her head, flinging her long hair over her shoulder, "Maybe it's time to break out the old hero suit?"

"Might as well." Natasha agreed, and the two women began to walk back toward the living quarters. Natasha looked over her shoulder at Steve, "You coming?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute," Steve called, then turned back to Bruce once the two women were out of earshot. Carol looked at Steve questioningly, but he ignored her, needing to talk to Doctor Banner, "Bruce. Is she... okay... to go to space?"

"I mean, I don't recommend going to space after the month she's had, but I doubt there's anything you can do to stop her." Banner admitted with a shrug, "She's healing slower than she should. The serum should have sped up her recovery. It's not as fast as I expected."

"Is she in danger, Doctor?" Steve pressed, taking a step towards Bruce as Carol shifted uncomfortably between the two of them.

Bruce ran his hand through his hair, then threw his hands up in exasperation, "I don't know Cap, she's a special case. And you know she won't let me run any tests on her."

Steve nodded, knowing Bruce was right. There was no convincing his wife to do anything she didn't want to do, and sure as hell didn't want to stay home. "Thank you, Doctor. Suit up."

Bruce just nodded as Steve swept out of the room. Rhodey and Carol shared a glance as Bruce pulled up a screen to check on Tony's vitals.

* * *

"Honey, can you zip me up?" Kayla called from the walk-in closet as Steve closed the apartment door behind him.

Steve trudged his way through the apartment, trying to carefully get around the puppies without stepping on them. Steve began unbuttoning his green plaid shirt as Kayla emerged from the bedroom, dressed in her dark blue suit that mimicked the Black Widow's signature uniform. Steve smiled at the sight, it had been a long time. "Come here. Let me help you."

"It's a little tight..." Kayla grumbled as Steve zipped up the front, smirking down at her cleavage as she took over unbuttoning his green shirt. "I'm scared Steve. Everything rides on this." Kayla said softly as she reached the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up, untucking it from his khaki pants.

Steve tilted Kayla's chin up to look her in the eyes, "It's going to work Kay. I have faith." Steve leaned forward and kissed Kayla.

"Then we better get going." Kayla pulled away, nodding toward the closet. Steve looked where his wife was gesturing, and peaked around the corner of the closet, seeing his stealth suit hanging on the door. He studied the material, remembering when he wore that uniform. When he and Kayla were first dating.

If he put on that uniform, he was Captain America again.

"Well, are you coming Cap?" Kayla asked, the knowing tone in her voice saying everything he needed to hear.

After changing, Steve emerged from the closet to find Kayla sitting on the floor in her suit, playing with the three puppies as Sasa rested nearby. He wandered over and plopped down next to her with a sigh. "You know, if this works, we'll have eight Rhodesian Ridgebacks? Eight..."

"That's on you. You brought this one home." Kayla gestured to Sasa who simply side eyed Steve before going back to sleep. "If this works, we'll have eight dogs, and a baby... Steve, we could have a baby."

"Yeah, next week at this time we could be changing diapers." Steve chuckled as Kayla snuggled against Buddy. He watched his wife play with the puppy and began to imagine her with their son. Steve could practically see her rocking him to sleep and making him laugh and soothing his tears, and he wanted that so badly. He was going to fix this. He had to.

There was a knock on the door. Steve stood and opened it, revealing Natasha dressed in her green vest, ready to go. "Time to go. No more delays." Black Widow warned, reaching down to pull Kayla off the ground. Kayla took her hand and let Nat help her to her feet. "It's been a long time since I've seen you in this getup. You look more like the Black Widow than I do." Natasha chuckled as she looped her thumbs through the straps on her vest.

Kayla brushed the dog hair off the front of her suit, then smoothed her hair as Natasha handed Kay a band to pull her long mane back into a ponytail. She looked from Steve to Nat, "Let's go."

* * *

Kayla looked around the Benatar as she made her way toward the back of the ship. "Whoa. This is... out of this world. Literally. I'm shocked."

"We haven't even left the ground yet," Rocket mumbled, directing Bruce to sit in the lower area of the cockpit with Nebula while Rhodey followed Kayla toward the back.

Rhodey sat in the far back on the passenger side of the ship, and Kayla strapped in opposite him with a seat in the middle. Both were surprised when Thor took the middle seat, and Kayla just shrugged as Steve opened his mouth to protest, then shut it when Thor forced a happy smile at Kayla. Steve grumbled and let Thor keep his seat, seeing as Kayla's excitement was one of the first things to bring Thor a smile in weeks. "I think you'll really enjoy space." The God of Thunder told Steve's wife, then took a bite of the apple he'd brought on board.

"Mmhhmm." Kayla agreed with a rock of her head, "It'll be interesting, to say the least."

Steve sat in front of Kayla, slightly unnerved he couldn't see her, but she seemed at ease in the company of the Asgardian. Natasha sat next to Steve and gave him an encouraging smile as he settled in, feeling uncomfortable in the extraterrestrial ship. "What's the matter, Rogers? Not a fan of flying?" Natasha teased and Steve gave her a dirty look. Nat just shrugged and looked ahead, smirk still intact on her face.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road." Rocket said as he lifted the Benatar off the ground.

Kayla grabbed the side of her chair and laughed loudly, reveling in the sensation of the strange aircraft. "This is wild!" She yelped and Thor smiled at her again as they continued to ascend into the evening sky.

"Alright, now, who here hasn't been to space?" Rocket turned and asked from the pilot's seat across from Carol. He saw Steve, Nat, Rhodey, and Kayla raise their hands nervously. "You better not throw up on my ship." He retorted, turning back to the front of the ship.

"Approaching the jump in three-" Nebula warned loudly.

Steve clamped his right hand onto the side of his seat, preparing for takeoff. Many times in his hundred-year existence he'd felt in over his head, but none so much as this moment. Captain America was not meant to be in space.

"Two."

Natasha leaned back, breathing deeply as she prepared for takeoff. Ready for whatever laid ahead. Kayla looked over at Natasha nervously after seeing Steve clench and Nat stiffen. She reached to her right and grabbed Thor's large hand and he let her squeeze it tight enough to break had he been a human.

"One."

As the ship jumped Kayla whooped and Thor laughed along with her as Steve clenched harder, feeling the pressure of the ships unnatural speed as they blasted through space. Steve's eyes widened as the beautiful sight of the galaxy whirred past them at hyperspeed. And as quickly as it started, their jump through space was finished, and the Benetar seemed to hang in midair in front of an unfamiliar planet.

Kayla leaned over Thor to get a better view out the front of the ship. "That's it? That's where Thanos is hiding?"

Rocket opened up the bottom hatch of the ship and Captain Marvel flew out, turning before she left, "I'll head down for recon." As she flew away, Steve and Nat unbuckled their seatbelts and stood, stretching their legs.

Steve looked over his shoulder at Kayla, giving her a reassuring smile that she returned until he turned away, then her face fell just as his did. Natasha noticed their forced confidence, and turned to the soldier, "This is going to work Steve."

"I know it is." He replied, sparing a glance at Kayla as she listened to Thor talk to Rhodey, "Because I don't know what I'm going to do if it doesn't."

Carol returned to the ship and hovered out the front, her eyes serious as she delivered her findings, "No satellites. No ships. No armies. No ground defense of any kind. It's just him."

Nebula stared at her, "And that's enough."

"Alright, listen up. We only have one chance to get this done. Danvers, you knock him down first. Banner, you and Rhodes use the Hulkbuster and War Machine armors to keep him down. Thor, get the gauntlet. Natasha, Kayla, and I will work interrogation if needed. Nebula and Rocket, let us know if you see anything about this going south. You know him better than any of us. We can't do this without you." Steve explained quickly, looking around at his team. "Let's get the gauntlet, and bring everybody back." He looked to Kayla, who nodded once before looking toward the gangplank as Rocket opened the ship.

Carol led the way out of the ship, followed closely by Thor and Nebula. After everyone was gone, Natasha, Steve, and Kayla brought up the rear. Natasha gave Steve a reassuring smile as she left the ship, leaving the husband and wife alone for a moment.

Steve grabbed Kayla by the hand and pulled her into a passionate kiss that lasted only a moment, but it was enough to take her breath away. As he pulled away she gasped, looking up at him longingly. "Don't treat this like a goodbye, Steve."

Steve's soft blue eyes locked onto her green ones and he pressed one more chaste kiss against her lips, "I have to Kay. It's Thanos."

She nodded, letting her eyes drop to the ground as Steve left the Benatar. "I love you." She whispered to herself as she hung back for a moment, then scampered after Steve and Nat toward the home of the Mad Titan.

* * *

From a safe distance, Kayla crouched next to Steve and Natasha. They watched Thanos wander through the fields of his Garden, picking fruit to bring back to his hut. His armor was hung like a scarecrow outside his home, a threat to anyone who found the Mad Titan. Judging by how peaceful this planet was, Kayla doubted there was anything around to bother him. It was the perfect setting for their attack. He wouldn't suspect a thing.

Suddenly a flash of light crashed into Thanos's hut, signaling it was time to get the stones. Steve and Natasha confidently strode toward Thanos's haven as War Machine flew through the roof. After Thor smashed through the wall, Steve began to climb the steps up to Thanos with Natasha and Kayla flanking each side.

Carol had her glowing arm around Thanos's neck while Bruce held one arm and War Machine the other. Thanos couldn't move. His whole left side was charred from using the gauntlet. There was no chance of escape now.

Thor had axed off Thanos's arm, and the gauntlet laid on the ground. Rocket rolled over the glove and found all six spots empty. No Infinity Stones.

Steve's eyes zeroed in on the empty gauntlet, taking in its marred appearance before he shared a frustrated glance with Natasha. Kayla began to shake behind him, seeing all hope of saving her family lost in the void of the empty gauntlet.

"Where are they?" Steve asked evenly, his brows were drawn as he stared down Thanos, waiting for an explanation.

"Answer the question." Carol threatened as she kept Thanos in a choke hold.

Thanos barely struggled against Captain Marvel, almost as if he'd accepted his fate. He had finished the job and there's nothing the Avengers could do to stop him. "The universe required correction. After that, the stones served no purpose beyond temptation."

"You murdered trillions!" Bruce snarled as he shoved Thanos against the wall of his shack.

Thanos leaned towards them, growling out, "You should be grateful."

As Thanos has punched down again, Natasha gaped down at him with shakey breath, "Where are the stones?"

"Gone. Reduced to atoms." Thanos bit back, and Kayla surged forward, standing next to Natasha.

"What do you mean gone? You used them two days ago! They can't be gone..." Kayla yelled at the Titan as Steve stared on in disbelief.

Thanos turned his head to the side, seeming to size Kayla up, "I remember you." He visibly looked to her toned stomach in her uniform, then back to her eyes. "The child?"

"Gone. Because of you."

Kayla shook in his sights, but nobody dared come between the woman and the Titan. Steve took a step closer to Kayla, having her back as she glared at the monster before her.

Thanos smiled sadly at the blonde, pointing to Steve with his right hand, "And I remember _him_. Perhaps fate didn't want you to have both."

"That wasn't fate, that was _you._ " Kayla snarled wildly as Steve grabbed onto her arms, holding her tight so she couldn't put herself in danger.

"I used the stones to destroy the stones." Thanos continued, looking up at Steve instead of the woman who he held. "It nearly killed me. But the work is done, it always will be." Thanos's gaze dropped to Kayla, who cried furious tears as Steve held her back. "I am inevitable."

"We've got to tear this place apart-He has to be lying," Rhodey said as he looked around frantically, but Nebula came forward, finally speaking of her tormentor.

"My father is many things. A liar is not one of them."

Kayla bit down hard on her teeth, refusing to believe what Nebula was saying. The stones were gone. The damage was done. They had lost, and there was no way to bring everyone back. There was no way to bring back their friends, their family, their child.

Thanos looked up at his daughter, a wave of relief in his features, "Ah, thank you, daughter. Perhaps I treated you too harshly."

Thor swung Stormbreaker fiercely and decapitated Thanos in one swoop. Steve spun Kayla around and pressed her face to his chest as she cried, not for Thanos, but for everyone who they couldn't save.

"What? What did you do?" Rocket asked sadly as he looked up at Thor.

Thor paused for a moment, staring down at the headless body of the man who destroyed the universe. "I went for the head." Thor turned and left the shack, leaving everyone else behind to wallow in their failure.

Everyone stood in silence, unable to speak. Natasha gawked at the scene, unable to comprehend that such a terrible act couldn't be reversed. They were too late. It was too late. They were all gone.

Steve hung his head sadly, pressing his lips against Kayla's scalp as she whimpered against his chest. Steve promised he'd make everything right. He promised he'd fix everything. But there was nothing he could do. There was nothing any of them could do.

 _Perhaps fate didn't want you to have both._

Kayla's legs began to wobble as she felt weak, and after a moment they gave out and she started to fall. Steve caught her, and scooped her up, carrying her away from Thanos as Nebula closed his eyes, letting the monster who destroyed their lives rest in peace.


	89. Five Years Later

**Year One**

Defeated, Thor left the Avengers and disappeared, not to be heard from again. Nebula and Rocket spent several months at the compound with the team, until Rocket suggested they go back out into space and continue the work the Guardians of the Galaxy had been doing. Nebula balked at the idea at first but finally agreed, deciding the raccoon was the closest thing to a friend she had now that Tony was gone. Rhodey began work helping the government rebuild, and Natasha took up the mantle as Director of Shield- at least whatever still existed of it. She continued to reach out to Clint Barton with no luck. A neighbor had reported him alive, but he hadn't had contact with anyone since the snap. Natasha learned his whole family was gone. Carol spent almost a whole year on Earth, trying to see what she could do to help. She realized quickly she couldn't, but, that didn't stop her from trying. Occasionally she'd leave for Louisiana, and not come back for a week or so. Nobody asked her about it. After a couple of weeks, Bruce told Tony he was good as new, and the billionaire left the compound and never looked back. Rhodes, Bruce, and Natasha were invited to his small lakeside wedding. Steve and Kayla were not. Steve would spend hours a day at the compounds shooting range, something Kayla found highly unnerving. He didn't want to talk to anyone, pushing everyone away, even Kayla. The blonde refused to believe they'd lost and went to work studying everything she could think of. After about nine months, she knew she couldn't ignore the truth any longer. They were gone.

 **Year Two**

With Carol, Rocket, and Nebula gone, all was quiet in the Avengers Compound in upstate New York. The world has slowly begun to rebuild, and chaos was beginning to decline. The military forces and police had gotten control over the looting and murders, but the suicides continued at an alarming rate. After a year, the World Census was complete, and half of all life had disappeared. Another fourth of those who survived ended up dead anyway. Natasha continued to monitor world threats as her anxiety levels began to climb. Rhodey continued working hard for the military, moving around the world to get a better idea of the devastation each nation was facing. Bruce found a new lab to call his own, and began work on figuring out how to mend his troublesome relationship with the Hulk. Tony Stark wasn't heard from. Steve continued spending his time at the shooting range, ignoring his friends and his wife as Kayla fell deeper and deeper into depression. Steve couldn't face the people he'd failed. He couldn't face his wife. He regretted putting the fight above her. He regretted letting her live alone in Wakanda while she was pregnant, only to arrive and bring danger at the last second. Steve regretted not being able to save her that day. If it hadn't been for Natasha... Kayla would be dead too. Steve alienated everyone, and Kayla felt terribly alone. Everything was hopeless. The world was in chaos. On Christmas Eve, Steve came back to the apartment to find Kayla unconscious on their bed, an empty bottle of painkillers discarded on the floor. By New Years he found a place in Brooklyn and took his wife away to create a new life, away from the Avengers.

 **Year Three**

That rundown Brooklyn apartment was the best thing that ever happened to Steve and Kayla Rogers. While the world around them laid dormant, they made a home. By September of 2020, Kayla and Steve had hand painted every room and he practically built all their furniture by hand. Kayla laughed more than she had since Thanos, and Steve hadn't felt so content since 1940. Nat financially supported the couple, much to Steve's dismay, but Natasha wanted her friends to be happy. She needed some sort of hope that they could all be happy again. The three little Rhodesian puppies had grown into three massive dogs over the past three years, and Kayla admitted sadly they shouldn't keep all of them couped up in the small apartment forever. Begrudgingly, Natasha agreed to take Hope, one of the girls, because Kayla insisted she shouldn't live at the compound alone. Nat was always alone and it worried Kayla. She knew that her best friend often sat and cried when no one was around. The second girl, Faith, was offered to Nebula during a rare visit to Earth. When Nebula asked why the hell she'd want an Earth pet, Kayla simply said: "Because you'll take good care of her." With his sisters gone, the runt became Kayla's faithful companion, never leaving her side, even if Steve wanted Kayla all to himself. Their new domestic life gave them hope in trying again for a family... but try as they might, Banner was right, and Kayla couldn't get pregnant. And this realization sent them spiraling once more.

 **Year Four**

Steve insisted that Kayla see a therapist because she was losing her grip on reality. She'd often sit alone and stare at the wall with Buddy curled up on her lap and Sasa sleeping at her feet. Steve agreed to go with Kayla because his denial in the gravity of their situation only pushed Kayla further into madness. While there, Steve found himself comforting the doctor more than she helped them, and he realized he could potentially do some real good in the world. Optimistic by nature, Steve considered starting his own support group to help those who needed someone to talk to. Therapy helped Steve more than Kayla though. Their therapist took the couple in with wide eyes, realizing exactly who sat in front of her. And neither the soldier nor the socialite denied it, opening up about the past seven years they'd spent together, and everything that had transpired. The news spread by word of mouth that Kayla Ellis was still alive after someone saw her leaving the doctor's office hand in hand with Captain Steve Rogers, but beyond that, details were scarce. Nobody cared much for celebrities anymore. What did it matter? Kayla reveled in the idea of 'being alive' again, and asked Doctor Banner if she could help him with his work while Steve began organizing his support group in the basement of an abandoned church. Bruce welcomed the help and found Kayla's insight quite useful to his work in the gamma lab. Sometime in the past year, Bruce realized that he'd been wrong about the Hulk. He wasn't something to be rid of, he was something to be embraced. Much to Kayla's initial horror, Bruce found a way to combine himself with the Hulk. Kayla wasn't so sure about Bruce's transformation, but Sasa had taken an interest in the large green man and often followed him around when Kayla brought her to the gamma lab. As the anniversary of the decimation approached, Kayla asked if Bruce would watch over the dog for a while, and the Doctor agreed happily, glad to have the company as he continued his work in better understanding his condition. Bruce and Kayla often spoke of her declining strength and stamina, and the doctor convinced the woman to leave it be. As long as she was alive, that's what mattered. That wasn't good enough for Kayla. If the serum could wear off on her, what would it mean for Steve? Kayla eventually stopped coming to work with Bruce, because the temptation was too great... with everything she'd learned about the serum the past few years, she couldn't help but want to perfect it. For herself. For her husband. Faster. Stronger. Better.

 **Year Five**

By June of 2022, Kayla had figured out how to stabilize the super soldier serum in her blood. She became bored sitting at home alone while Steve led his support group. It was small, but it was important to him. Kayla would often visit Natasha, but the redhead was hard at work organizing international and otherworldly efforts to put the universe back on track. Nat kept constant contact with Okoye, who was running Wakanda like a well-oiled machine, offering help where needed, but mostly keeping the country secluded as it once was. Rhode traveled the world, looking into the mass murders that had become more frequent, but not random. No, the only people who died were people who hurt others: mobsters, cartels, mercenaries. All killed skillfully and quietly by a man known only as Ronin. Natasha suspected it was Clint, and Rhodes followed her hunch, tracking Ronin as he moved around the world, taking the lives of those who he felt worsened the Earth. Kayla would sit in as Natasha ran her holographic conferences, giving Buddy a chance to play with his sister Hope, much to his dismay. Sometimes she'd go to the support group with Steve, and sit quietly to his side, being another listening ear as he gave hope to those who came to listen to the Captain speak. He worked hard to lift the spirits of those left behind, and Kayla worked as a match to bring his light alive. Steve began to live the life he preached about, and Kayla begrudgingly followed him into the future, remembering that she'd follow that man anywhere, even if it meant leaving her hopes and dreams behind...


	90. Chapter 89

Steve's alarm clock blared loudly, causing Kayla to groan and pull a pillow over her head. Buddy began to bark loudly, jumping up onto the bed and licking Steve along his cheek. Steve scrunched up his face as Buddy slobbered on his mouth, before gently pushing the Rhodesian away as he sat up in bed and wiped his face with his forearm to clean off the drool. He reached over and hit his alarm clock, silencing it before turning his attention to his wife.

"Hey, give me a kiss." Steve teased, leaning against Kayla as he yanked the pillow off of her face, holding it off to the side in a game of keep away. Steve knew Kayla wasn't a morning person, which made his mission of getting her out of bed even more difficult and amusing for him.

Kayla covered her eyes with her wrist, trying to fight the light of day away. "No." She barked, yanking the pillow out of his hand and bringing it back to her face.

"Please." Steve pouted, wiggling his stubbly face under the pillow and pressing a kiss against Kayla's cheek.

"Ew, you smell like dog." Kayla yelped as lifted the pillow and hit Steve over the head with it. "You need a shower. And a shave."

"You could join me?" Steve offered, leaning on his right arm as he looked at his wife. She laid flat on her back in her green tank top and black shorts, her long hair pulled together tightly in two long braids. She turned to face her husband, her green eyes glowing mischievously at his request.

"Don't you have somewhere to be this morning?" Kayla questioned as she stretched out her legs. "You promised Cathrine downstairs you'd fix her sink today."

Steve leaned over, kissing Kayla on the lips as she fake gagged at his dog breath, "She said I could come whenever, which means I have time. Join me. Now you smell like dog, too."

"Yeah, because of you." Kayla bit back, but a brief grin snuck onto her face and Steve caught it.

The large blonde man swung his legs over the bed and stretched his arms while Kayla watched, fighting the smile that threatened to overtake her. She'd spent nine years with the man beside her, and despite everything they'd gone through, she didn't regret her choice. Kayla rolled over onto her side, resting on her arm as she oggled her shirtless husband. Steve stood, and Kayla continued to stare at his ass until he looked over his shoulder skeptically, "If you like the view so much, why don't you come along?"

Kayla shook her head violently as Steve walked around to the foot of the bed and leaned over, grasping onto Kayla's thighs tightly before yanking her towards him. "Mr. Rogers!" She squeaked, throwing her head back to laugh as he pulled her to the edge of the bed.

"That's _Captain_ Rogers to you, ma'am." Steve winked as he reached under her waist and pulled her up to him and she wrapped her legs around his torso as she began to kiss him. He backed them into the bathroom and she leaned away for just a moment to slam the door closed while Buddy ran after them, pawing at the door for them to let him in.

* * *

"You've still got it, old man." Kayla laughed as she wrapped her silk bathrobe around her drenched body. Steve snapped the towel at her, but she grabbed it, yanking it out of his hand as she flipped her head and began drying out her waist length hair.

Steve opened up the cabinet and pulled out a towel for himself that he wrapped around his waist before grabbing a new razor to shave with. He turned to his wife as she flipped her head back and stood, still trying to wring out the water from her long locks. "I'll be one-hundred and five this year," Steve grumbled as he turned to the mirror and pulled his shaving cream out of the drawer.

Kayla nodded as she opened the bathroom door, allowing Buddy to scramble in and jump up on Steve. Cap instinctively grabbed at the towel on his waist as Buddy's paws pulled on it, but then he got bored with Steve and scampered back to Kayla. The blonde knelt down and rubbed Buddy's ears lovingly before taking a seat at her vanity. She began pulling her hair into a high ponytail, then opened the drawer and pulled out her favorite red lipstick. She ran her fingers along the wood of the vanity Steve had built for her. He had a knack for building things, although she always felt the need to watch over him with the power tools because directions weren't really his strong suit. After a while, she looked up to see Steve standing in the doorway of the bathroom wearing dark blue jeans and a grey plaid shirt. His hair was combed back nicely and his face was cleanly shaven.

"What's wrong Steve?" Kayla asked gently, seeing the despondent look on her husband's face.

He looked from her to the window, rubbing his hand down his mouth as he considered how to express his feelings, "I just... kinda thought life would be different, you know?"

"We all did." Kayla countered, resting her left arm on the back of her vanity chair as she turned to face Steve, "None of this is how we planned."

"I just kind of thought that by the time I reached a century old I'd be-"

"Dead?" Kayla offered blandly and Steve took a deep breath before continuing.

"No," Steve argued, "Forget it. I... better get going."

"No, no I'm sorry. That was mean. Don't go yet. Honey-" Kayla stood quickly, trying to follow Steve from their small bedroom into the living room and kitchen of their tiny Brooklyn apartment. "Steve-"

"You just don't understand Kay. I feel... like everything I've done was for nothing." Steve huffed, pulling on his shoes that were placed by the door. "I'm going downstairs to fix Catherine's sink. Can you take the dog out while I'm gone? I'm surprised he hasn't shit all over everything yet." Steve grabbed his wallet and motorcycle keys and slammed the door closed, causing Buddy to hide under the kitchen table and whimper.

Kayla placed her head in her hand for a moment as she blew air out through her mouth, feeling guilty for upsetting her husband. Again. It wasn't the first time they'd gotten into this argument. Steve had a hard time surviving the decimation. Kayla often found him looking through old Shield files of the Howling Commandos and Howard Stark and Peggy Carter.

It's not that Steve didn't love Kayla, he did, more than anything. But... he felt like he was living a shell of the life he'd once wanted. The feeling was mutual.

Kayla pulled on black sweatpants and a purple workout shirt and went to the front door to grab her tennis shoes. She clicked her tongue and Buddy came skidding to a stop in front of her, panting happily, "Come on Buddy, let's go."

Kayla snapped on the dog's leash and grabbed her own set of keys and cell phone, shoving them into the side pocket of her leggings. She trotted down the stairs with the large dog in tow. She saw the door to one of the apartments open and knew it was the home of the elderly woman Catherine, whom Steve would always check up on since her husband and son were lost in the snap. Steve was a good man like that.

Kayla quickly moved past the open door, hoping her husband wouldn't see her. She pushed open the back door to the old apartment complex and led Buddy over to a small patch of dead grass that he used to do his business on. Kayla looked up at the sky, seeing a plane for the first time in weeks. Planes rarely flew. Boats rarely sailed. Even cars were a rare commodity. If it hadn't been for their brood of dogs, Steve wouldn't have sought out a vehicle for the family, but they needed some way to transport all the Rhodesians. Also, as Steve became more invested in his support groups, Kayla needed a way to get to Natasha.

Kay pulled out her cell phone, seeing it was already ten-thirty. Natasha would be wide awake and already hard at work. Kayla quickly typed away Nat's number, holding it to her ear as it rang. "Nat?"

"Another fight?" Natasha asked from the other end of the line. Kayla rolled her eyes, biting her lip.

"Nooo." Kayla groaned, kicking at a stray cat that got too close to Buddy. "More like... not a fight. I wasn't fighting back. He was just... in a mood."

"Aren't we all?" Natasha said through a mouthful of food. Kayla could hear her chewing and then baby talking Hope in the background, "Why don't you swing by later? Let the dogs play. I've got wine.."

Kayla lifted her chin, looking back toward the half-empty apartment building, "Red or white?"

"Both. You can bring Buddy and your laundry. I know how much you hate paying for the laundry machines." Natasha added with a laugh.

"It's like, a basic human right to have a laundry machine," Kayla grumbled, giving Buddy a quick tug to bring him back to the apartment. "I'll be there in a few hours."

"See you then," Natasha said goodbye as Hope barked in the background. Kayla sighed, rubbing her temples as she clicked her tongue, leading her dog back to her home. As she started climbing the stairs, she heard Steve's voice coming from the lower level, saying goodbye to Catherine.

"If you ever need anything, anything at all, you know you can always ask," Steve assured the older woman. Kayla pressed herself against the stairwell, listening to the exchange.

The older woman pat his hand sweetly, looking up into his blue eyes, "Thank you, Steve. Here," She handed him a twenty dollar bill, and he shook his hand, trying to refuse, but she cut him off, "I know it's not much. Take that pretty blonde of yours on a date."

Steve looked down at the money in his hand, knowing it wouldn't be enough for a real date, but the thought was very sweet. He hadn't taken Kayla out in a very long time. Not in at least a year. "Thank you, I- I really appreciate it."

"Take care, Steve," Catherine told the man as she slowly closed the door. He looked up the stairs, having heard Kayla and Buddy enter a few moments earlier. He began to trudge his way up to their third-floor apartment.

When he opened the door, Kayla was working on lunch and didn't turn around when he entered their home. He watched her for a moment, hands in his pockets, and rocked back and forth. "Hey, Kay."

"Hello." She replied flatly, flipping the grilled cheese sandwiches in the pan.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier. It was cruel, and not fair to you..." Steve started, taking a step closer, but Kayla stayed focused on her cooking. She listened though and tilted her head ever so slightly to catch his words. "Catherine gave me some money. It's not much, but, we could go out-"

Kayla scooped up the sandwiches with the spatula and deposited them on a plate, turning quickly to face Steve. "I, uh, I'm going upstate tonight. To see Nat."

"Oh." Steve started, rubbing the back of his neck, "I understand. Maybe tomorrow? I've got a support group in the afternoon, but, I'd like to do something nice for you."

Kayla blushed, looking at the floor as she smiled, "I love you, Steve Rogers. I always have. I always will."

Steve tilted up her chin and kissed her lips. "I love you too, Kay. When are you leaving?"

"In an hour or two. Want to join?" Kayla offered, patting Steve on the stomach before she handed him a plate of grilled cheese with the other hand. "I'm sure Nat would love to see you."

"Maybe next time. You two have a good night. Get her mind off of work will you? I'm worried about her. She's in bad shape with everything." Steve said quietly as he took a bite of the sandwich.

Kayla clicked her tongue and Buddy jumped up, putting his large paws on her shoulders as she kissed his nose. "I'll get her so drunk she'll forget to be sad."

"You do that." Steve laughed as he finished his lunch, putting his plate in the sink. He looked back toward the bedroom, "I don't suppose you'd take the laundry with you?"

"I was already planning on it, darling." Kayla pressed a kiss to Steve's lips before turning to gather their laundry for her to wash at the compound.


	91. Chapter 90

Author's Note: I officially have 100 followers! Thank you all so much for following and favoriting. Please leave a review or two and tell me what you think. I just wrote the first part of the time heist and I'm so excited for this story to pick up its pace and action again. 

It was a day, just like every other day. But Kayla and Steve Rogers didn't know this was the day would change their lives forever.

Steve's alarm went off, and he turned it off as Buddy jumped onto the bed, moving between Steve and Kayla to wake them. Steve rose first and allowed Kayla a few extra moments of sleep while he showered. After he was dressed, he came back to the bed and gently shook Kayla.

"Honey, it's time to get up." Steve murmured as he pushed a strand of hair away from Kayla's face. "You're coming to to the meeting today, right? I was thinking we'd take a trip upstate afterward. I'm out of clean underwear."

"Mmhmm, but that's not until this evening. Can't you take Zaddi out and come back? I'll make breakfast." Kayla offered as she bat her eyelashes at Steve, trying to get him to give her more time to sleep. "I'm not feeling well this morning, I'm tired."

"Fine. But you'll have to make it up to me later." Steve told her, and she rolled over onto her stomach, swinging her head so her long hair would flop over her shoulder.

"Be safe darling," Kayla warned as Steve buttoned up his green plaid shirt. Kayla motioned with her index finger for Steve to come closer and she sat up in bed, sitting cross-legged on the mattress as he presented his sleeves for her to roll up. She moved to sit on her knees, stretching up to run her fingers through Steve's hair, combing the long blonde strands backward. "I'll have breakfast ready when you return."

"Good, I'm starving." He pressed a chaste kiss to Kayla's lips and clicked his tongue, causing the massive dog to follow him toward the door.

* * *

"Alright, we'll be late tonight, if you need anything, give me a call. He eats three scoops of food around six, please don't feed him after that or he'll have to go out late. If he barks, just play some music, he usually likes that. Like I said, please call if you have any questions." Kayla advised her neighbor as she handed the woman a list of phone numbers.

"Kayla, he's going to be fine. He's a dog, not a baby." Abigail retorted as she stared at the dog, but quickly shut her mouth when Kayla shot her a dirty look, "I promise I'll take good care of Buddy while you are gone. And he's a good boy, aren't you?" The tall brunette knelt down to pet Buddy on the head and he panted happily at the attention.

Kayla looked down at her watch, seeing the clock turn three-thirty. Steve would be by to pick her up at any moment. "As I said, call me if you need me. I love you, Buddy." Kayla addressed the dog and he barked back in response. "Have a good night." Kayla nodded at Abigail as she closed the door, leaving the young woman and her dog behind the evening.

By the time she reached the lower level of their apartment complex, Steve had his Harley waiting by the door and a bouquet of wildflowers in his hand. "Steve," Kayla gasped as she approached and he handed her the flowers, "You shouldn't have. Seriously, we are going to your group."

Steve simply shrugged his broad shoulders, taking her in unabashedly, "Even if you only have them for a moment, they put a smile on your face, and that was my goal."

"You spoil me, sir. After all this time." Kayla leaned into Steve, reaching toward his lips, but stopping just short, "We better get going. You can't be late for your own meeting."

Steve slung his leg over the bike and Kayla left the flowers sitting on the doorstep, hoping they'd bring a smile to someone else's face the way they had for her. She swung her toned leg over the bike and straddled Steve, wrapping her arms around him just as he hit the gas, speeding off.

* * *

Where do we go, now that they're gone?

Kayla stood in front of the sign at the bottom of the stairs in the basement of the church. After five years, the shadows of those who perished still haunted the Earth. She turned to the long tables with chairs on top, useless since the church had been abandoned years ago. Steve pulled several chairs down and made a circle at the front of the room as Kayla wandered around, the thick heels of her black boots thumping against the wood flooring as she moved. She left her hair down, and it fell over the shoulders of her navy puffer vest and dark blue jeans. She yanked down the long sleeves of her black undershirt uncomfortably as people began to walk down the stairs.

"Mrs. Rogers. It's so good to see you again." A thin young woman with dark hair and sharp features greeted Kayla once she reached the basement. Kayla hugged her gently, cautious not to hurt the woman as she smiled back grimly. The raven-haired woman returned Kayla's expression, grabbing onto her arms, "We've missed you. It's been a long time."

"Well, I'm not as good at this... kind of thing, as Steve," Kayla explained, gesturing to the circle that was beginning to fill up with people. She turned back to the woman, forcing another meek smile, "But as much as I don't want to talk, I think I need this too, ya know?"

"I get it. I've been holding it all in. My mom and sister disappeared. A year later my dad killed himself. Now it's just me. But talking has helped a lot. I think- it's important, to remember we've all been through this together."

Kayla nodded in agreement and gestured toward the group as Steve took his seat. Kayla sat on his right, crossing her leg over the other and bopping it impatiently, dreading the possibility of having to speak.

"Mary, why don't you start today." Steve gestured toward an older woman who sat across from him. Kayla swallowed hard, trying to stay stoic as the grey-haired woman in a grey color-blocked jacket nodded, leaning forward to begin speaking.

"My husband and I are splitting up. We tried- so hard- after Aaron disappeared. We tried to keep it together for the grandkids, the ones left, but we just can't pretend anymore. We are so unhappy. He's never going to forgive me for what happened with Aaron."

Steve nodded, leaning back in his chair as he crossed his arms, "Do you want to talk about that? You know you don't have to, but if you do, this is a safe space."

The older woman, Mary, flattened her mouth into a straight line, "Aaron and I weren't on speaking terms. We had gotten into a fight over how he was raising his children. The last thing he said to me was to get out of his life. I never heard from him again."

"I'm sure he didn't mean it. He is-was... your son. Kids get mad at their parents, but, I'm sure he loved you very much." Kayla stuttered, and Steve turned quickly to see her leaning forward against her crossed leg.

Mary's brow raised at Kayla's words, "Do you two have kids Mrs. Rogers?"

Kayla opened her mouth to speak, seeing she'd trapped herself in a corner. Steve prepared to turn the conversation away from his wife, but Kayla decided to vent her misery, "Yes. No. Almost." She decided, leaning back into her chair. "I was in labor when... it... happened."

Steve reached over and grabbed Kayla's hand, wanting to comfort her after her confession, because he knew how much she hated talking about him. Kayla looked down at Steve's hand, then addressed the room again, "I think the hardest part is not knowing where they are, you know? Like, are they in Heaven? Or are they just- gone? I wonder if my mother knows I almost had a child. She didn't know I was pregnant... we weren't speaking either when it happened..." Kayla trailed off, staring at the floor.

"Anyone else have anything to share this week?" Steve choked out, needing his wife to stop talking before _he_ lost it. As much as Kayla didn't like talking about their loss, he didn't like hearing about it.

"So, I went on a date the other day." A man spoke up, and Steve visibly sighed at the change of subject. The man in glasses looked around the circle, feeling pressure to lighten the situation. "First time in five years. I didn't know what to talk about."

"What did you talk about?" Steve pressed gently, keeping his left hand locked onto Kayla's grasped hands as she turned to the man speaking.

"Ehh, same old crap, you know? How things have changed. My job. His job. How much we miss the Mets." He paused, looking toward the woman who had spoken with Kayla earlier, causing her to lower her head, "Then things got quiet. He cried as they were serving the salads."

A thin balding man with an earing leaned forward, asking hopefully, "What about you?"

"I cried..." He squinted through his glasses as he nodded his head slightly, "Just before dessert... But I'm seeing him again tomorrow, so..."

Steve nodded, his lips pulled down into a tight frown, "That's great. You did the hardest part. You took a jump, you didn't know where you were gonna come down. And that's it, its those little, brave baby steps we gotta take-" He looked to Kayla and she nodded, her green eyes borderline watering at his words. "You know, to try and find purpose." Steve perked up a little, and Kayla turned her hand over to squeeze his as he continued, "I went in the ice in forty-five right after I met the love of my life. Woke up seventy years later." Kayla's mouth dropped open at Steve's words before he could go on, and she slammed it closed quickly when she realized several of the others had taken notice. "You gotta move on. If I hadn't..." He trailed off, finally noticing Kayla's furious eyes. He smirked timidly, letting his eyes fall for a moment as Kayla let go of his hand. "The world is in our hands. It's left to us guys. We gotta do something with it. Otherwise, Thanos should have killed all of us."

Kayla pursed her lips and worked hard to keep her breath even and her cheeks from turning apple red. As Steve shook everyone's hand, she stood behind him dutifully, waiting for her turn to speak to the soldier. Once everyone was gone, he turned to her, ready to be berated.

"Love of your life huh?"

"Love of that life. You are the love of this one. And if I hadn't moved on, I never would have found you." Steve added, raising his brows as he pulled Kayla by the hips towards him.

She squinted at Steve, raising her chin defiantly, "Could have warned me where you were going with that?"

"Sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. It just seemed relevant?" Steve defended bashfully as he let Kayla back away and head toward the stairs. "Will you forgive me?"

Kayla smiled as she looked up the stairs into the light, unable to stay mad at Steve. She looked over her shoulder at him, "Always darling."

"You have nothing to worry about Kay. It's only you." Steve assured the woman as he passed her on the stairs and tugged on her hand to take her to his bike.


	92. Chapter 91

Steve sped his bike away from the city, and as he crossed the bridge over the Hudson, he felt Kayla poking his side.

"Pull over!" She yelled over the roar of the wind.

Steve did as he was told, pulling his bike off to the side of the bridge. He looked over his shoulder at his wife, making sure she wasn't hurt. "You okay? What's wrong?"

"Look." Kayla pointed out at the water as she moved away from the Harley to lean over the guardrail. "Look at them, Steve."

Steve wrapped his arms around Kayla's waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, his blue eyes scanning the water until he saw the pod of whales that his wife was watching intently. "I've never seen whales in the harbor before."

"They are beautiful. There's so many of them..." Kayla cooed, leaning over the rail as they swam under the bridge.

Steve grunted, lifting his head to look back toward the city. "It would be better if they weren't surrounded by abandoned boats."

"You're not wrong." Kayla sighed, leaning against her husband. "Let's keep moving."

Steve hopped on his bike first and offered his hand to Kayla to help her up. She accepted it and swung around behind him, clenching her legs against the motorcycle as he continued their trip upstate.

They arrived at the base as the sun was dipping below the horizon. Steve put down the kickstand of his motorcycle and tossed Kayla a set of keys. She skillfully entered a long, thin silver key into the lock on the main door of the base. Natasha wasn't expecting them, so Kayla wasn't surprised she had the base locked up.

As she pushed open the heavy glass door, Kayla looked around. A heavy layer of dust had settled on the equipment in the main lobby of the building. Halls that were once bustling with life were ghostly quiet. Nobody was around anymore. Anyone who had worked with the Avengers had gone home to be with what was left of their families. Those who hadn't dusted themselves, anyway.

Steve nodded toward the stairs, his sensitive hearing picking up on Rocket's voice coming from the living area. Kayla began to creep behind him, trying hard to keep quiet since Natasha was holding a meeting with the others.

"Maybe we should come back?" Kayla suggested, balking a little as she heard Carol tell Nat she wasn't going to be coming next month like she originally had planned. "Nat seems busy."

"No, we are here. We should stay for a while. We came all this way." Steve responded, grabbing hold of Kayla's right hand in his after she passed his keys back to him.

Kayla followed slowly, listening to Natasha talking to Rhodey about Barton. Kayla knew how much Clint's disappearance hurt Natasha. Nat felt like she should have been there for him, like she should have done something, even if everyone told her there was nothing she could have done to keep him from losing his family. "Will you find out where he's going next?" Natasha asked weakly.

"Nat," Rhodey warned darkly, but Natasha cut him off with her plea.

"Please."

Kayla heard the resignation in her friend's voice, and her heart plummeted. Then she heard Natasha stifle a cry, and Kayla briskly stormed into the room, rounding the desk to hug Natasha from behind. "Hey, hey, no crying. No crying Nat." Kayla murmured as she placed her cheek against the redhead's hair as Natasha held both her hands to her mouth, trying to keep the tears at bay. Hope looked up from her dog bed next to Natasha's desk, but upon seeing Kayla already comforting her owner, the dog laid back down, watching Natasha dutifully.

Steve took in her peanut butter sandwich from his spot leaning against the cart that held Natasha's dinnerware. "You know, I'd offer to cook you dinner, but you seem pretty miserable already," Steve told his friend. Kayla shot Steve a dirty look, not releasing Natasha from her hug.

Natasha lowered her arms and looked to Steve, leaning into Kayla's embrace as she forced a smile, "You here to do your laundry?"

"And to see a friend." Steve watched the two of them as Kayla finally released Nat and sat on top of the desk with her back to her husband and her full attention on the Black Widow.

Nat leaned back into her chair, taking a deep breath to calm herself before answering, "Clearly, your friend is fine."

"Is she now?" Kayla asked, leaning her head down to get a better look at Natasha's face as the redhead smiled up at her friend, placing one of her feet up on the desk.

Steve looked down to his set of keys, playing with them as he tried to figure out what to say. "You know we saw a pod of whales as we were coming over the bridge."

"The Hudson?" Natasha asked, impressed. She turned to Kayla, a knowing smirk on her face, "You made him pull over to watch them didn't you?"

"There were so many of them, Nat. It was amazing." Kayla beamed, leaning against her left hand to bend toward Natasha.

"There's fewer ships, cleaner water..." Steve started, trying to find something good to talk about.

Natasha looked up at the ceiling, trying to keep it together, "You know if you are about to tell me to look on the bright side," She paused, her breath shaky, "Umm, I'm about to hit you in the head with a peanut butter sandwich." She settled, leaning her head against the backrest to get a good view of Steve, giving him a threatening smile. Kayla looked over her shoulder menacingly, showing she'd support Natasha in her mission if she so chose.

"Sorry." Steve sighed as he approached the two women, "Force of habit." Steve set his jacket to the side as he took a seat on the other side of the desk. Natasha tossed the half-eaten sandwich at him, but he just looked at it, not interested in her sad dinner. He stared at the sandwich for a moment, pursing his lips together in thought before he finally looked up and met Natasha's eyes. "You know, I keep telling everybody they should move on. And grow. Some do. But not us."

Natasha stared off to Steve's side, and Kayla took a deep breath as she shifted uncomfortably on the desk. Steve was right, try as they might, they couldn't move on from the horrors they'd seen, from the people they lost.

"If I move on, who does this?" Natasha asked earnestly, knowing she was doing the best thing she could.

Steve's stern face told Nat everything he felt about the matter before he even spoke to her. "Maybe it doesn't need to be done."

Kayla looked to her left, seeing Natasha's eyes begin to well again as she looked at Steve. The blonde ground her perfect teeth together anxiously. This wasn't the first time Steve and Natasha had this conversation, but it was the first time Natasha didn't throw up her walls at the soldier's words.

"I used to have nothing. And then I got this- this job. This family." She smiled and looked down at the word as Hope trotted over and rested her head on her owner's thigh. Natasha pet the dog lovingly before looking back up to Steve, "And I was better because of it."

Kayla cleared her throat, trying to push her own tears back as she slid off the desk, adjusting the straps of her puffer jacket, "You weren't the only one who was made better by this family. You being a part of it, being a part of my life, has made me so much better." Kayla choked out, wiping a stray tear from underneath her eye as Natasha reached for her hand, holding it tightly so Kayla wouldn't walk away.

Natasha didn't let go of Kayla's hand as she stared at the wall beyond Steve, her mind far away, "And, they're gone... and we're still trying to be better."

Kayla nodded, biting down hard as Natasha kept her death grip on the woman's hand, eventually looking up to meet Kayla's emerald eyes with her own. Kayla opened her mouth, and an exasperated gasp came out shaky as she tried not to cry, "Don't you look at me like that. You think you used to be such a monster. But, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I owe you my life."

"I think we all need to get a life," Steve said evenly, watching his wife press a hand against Natasha's two-tone red and blonde hair affectionately. He forced a smile for his two best girls, knowing he owed Natasha as much as Kayla did.

Natasha tried to meet Steve's gaze, but faltered, forcing out, "You first." At her words, Steve gave a crooked smile, the right side of his face pulling up as his eyes lit up just a little. He looked from Natasha to Kayla, who was finally released by the Widow and moved around to sit next to her husband. He was a lucky man to have kept as much as he did, even though it felt like he'd lost everything.

A small, holographic screen popped up in front of Natasha and she flicked it to the side, bringing the video feed to life behind the Rogers. Steve looked over his shoulder as the message began playing, a loud male voice hollering at the camera.

"Oh, hi, hi! Is anyone home? This is, uh, Scott Lang. We met a few years ago, at the airport, in Germany." The dark haired man explained as he waved his hand in the air in front of an ugly brown van. Natasha leaned forward, studying the video feed.

"Isn't that... what was his name?" Kayla asked, wracking her brain for the information. That was seven years ago, a lot had happened since then.

Steve rose, his mouth agape as he stared at the screen with his brows drawn together, trying to piece together what he was seeing, "Is this an old message?"

"Ant-Man! Ant-Man, I know you know that!"

"Ant-Man! I remember him now. He got really big and then fell like an AT-AT!" Kayla exclaimed happily as Hope pondered over to her, running her tongue along Kayla's hand for attention.

Natasha's reaction was much like Steve's, confused awe, "It's the front gate." She breathed, and Kayla looked back over her shoulder quickly as Natasha met her stare.

"Wasn't he one of the ones who was reported missing?" Kayla asked, rising next to her husband. "If he's back... Steve, Steve go let him in!" Kayla yelped, tugging on Steve's arm frantically.

"I really need to talk to you guys!" Scott continued to call as Steve took off running toward the main door, Hope chasing after him thinking it was some sort of game.

With Steve gone, Natasha collapsed in her chair, staring up at Kayla, "Was he missing?"

"I remember his face and name, when we were going over those we knew who had been decimated. I could have sworn he was listed as gone." Kayla replied quickly, looking back up at the screen as the gate opened, and Scott hopped back in his van and drove into the compound. "That van is so ugly," Kayla muttered, her head working overtime to register what was happening.

Natasha let out a breath, but it came out almost as a relieved sigh, "Kay... what if we can fix this? What if we can bring them all back?"

Kayla turned around again to look Natasha in the eyes, but where Natasha expected excitement, she only found fear. "I don't know Nat. I don't know."


	93. Chapter 92

The two women turned as they heard Scott's loud voice echoing through the empty halls while Hope barked excitedly at the unfamiliar face. Steve listened patiently as the man chattered, leading him back to Natasha and Kayla. When Scott saw them, he recoiled a little, "You... you were with Stark-"

"A lot has changed since then. Trust me. I'm with him now." Natasha nodded toward Steve, who looked down bashfully at her words.

Scott looked from Natasha to Kayla, squinting at the blonde, "I remember you. You were with him, right? Like, with him, with him? Like dating Captain America? Or do I know you from somewhere else?"

Kayla looked to Steve with a piqued brow, then turned back to Scott, "Mrs. Steve Rogers." She offered her hand for him to shake, and he nodded understandingly before she continued, "I was Kayla Ellis once, though. So, you are right on both accounts." Scott stopped nodding and squished his face in confusion as Kayla shrugged, backing away for her husband to take over.

"Scott, I need you to focus. Five years ago, half of all life was wiped out by Thanos, a Mad Titan from outer space. You were thought to be among those who died. Were you? How did you get back?" Steve asked slowly, crossing his arms as he leaned against the desk. Kayla held her breath, watching Scott hopefully as his eyes moved around the room in thought.

Kayla watched the man cautiously, tilting her head questioningly as he began to pace. Scott began muttering to himself as he walked back and forth across the room.

"Scott?" Steve finally asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Scott replied as he pressed his fingers to his eyes for a moment. "Have any of you guys ever studied quantum physics?"

Steve looked to Natasha, seeing as he clearly hadn't studied quantum physics. "Only in mid-conversation," Natasha told him, her hands shoved in the pockets of her leggings.

"Little bit." Kayla offered, raising her hand. When the three others looked to her she just shrugged, "I enjoyed chemistry more. Quit physics after the teacher tried to sleep with me."

Scott pointed to Kayla with an open mouth, wanting to say something but not having words to follow her statement, then brought his hand back and began explaining his thought process, "Alright, so, five years ago, right before- Thanos, I was in a place called the Quantum Realm. To get there you have to be incredibly small-"

"You can't go there then," Kayla whispered loudly to Steve and he shook his hand at her to get her to shut up as Natasha shushed her. Steve motioned for Scott to continue talking.

"Hope, she's my, she was my... she was supposed to pull me out." Scott looked down to see Natasha's large dog panting up at him expectantly. "Can I help you?"

"Her name is Hope, she thinks you are talking to her," Natasha explained before clicking her tongue and summoning her dog to her side, where Hope sat diligently, waiting for directions from Nat.

Scott stared at the dog for a moment, nodding understandingly, "Anyway, then Thanos happened, and I got stuck in there."

"Sorry." Natasha started sympathetically, "That must have been a very long five years."

"Yeah, but that's just it. It wasn't. For me, it was five hours. See, the rules of the Quantum Realm aren't like they are up here. Everything's unpredictable." Steve looked from Kayla to Natasha, seeing Natasha's curious face and Kayla's thoughtful one. He could see the wheels in his wife's head turning at Scott's words. Scott, however, was distracted by Natasha's dinner, "Is that anybody's sandwich? I'm starving." Before any of them could respond, he grabbed it and began shoving it into his mouth.

"Scott! What are you talking about?" Steve asked, growing impatient with the chattering man.

"So, what I'm saying it," Scott said through a mouth full of peanut butter, "Time works differently in the Quantum Realm. The only problem is right now, we don't have any way to navigate it. But what if we did?" Scott began to pace again, sandwich in hand. Kayla watched him curiously, going over his theory in her head. "I can't stop thinking about it. What if we could somehow control the chaos, and we could navigate it?What if there was a way that we could enter the Quantum Realm at a certain point in time but then exit at another point in time? Like, before Thanos."

Kayla looked to the ceiling, trying to wrap her head around Scott's theory and then it hit her and she began to laugh.

"Wait." Steve said incredulously, "Are you talking about a time machine?"

"No. No of course not. No not a time machine, more of a...yeah like a time machine. I know, it's crazy, but I can't stop thinking about it- There's got to be some- It's crazy." Scott stammered, feeling defeated as Captain America stared at him like he was a maniac.

Natasha, however, took his words to heart, thinking he may be on to something, "Scott, I get emails from a raccoon. Nothing sounds crazy anymore."

"So who do we talk to about this?" Scott asked, looking between Natasha and Steve.

"This is ridiculous. Nat. Nat, you can't be serious, time travel? No offense Scott, I believe you, one hundred percent, but we'd be playing with the fabric of time. Traveling interdimensional in _hopes_ of _maybe_ being able to bring everybody back. I just... I don't know if its worth the risk." Kayla told the man, crossing her arms in front of her navy vest defensively. She looked to Steve, who was staring at her thoughtfully, his chin resting on his fist. "Steve-you don't actually think this could work do you?"

"Kayla, what's the matter with you? Don't you want to bring them all back?" Natasha hissed, grabbing onto her friend's arms, "If we have the chance, shouldn't we take it?"

"I'm scared Nat," Kayla admitted, looking from the redhead to held her to Scott, to Steve. "I'm scared."

"If we can do this, if we can bring everybody back, we have to try Kay. You know this. I promised you years ago I'd make this right, and if I'm given the opportunity, you know I will." Steve informed his wife sternly, and she sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Fine. You know I go where you go." Kayla turned to Scott, placing her hands on her hips, "You better be right about this."

Scott gulped as Kayla walked past him towards the door, preparing the leave for the night. Steve grasped Scott's shoulder supportively and smiled before following his wife out to the motorcycle to head home for the evening.

* * *

"What was that back there? I thought you'd jump on the chance to bring everybody back?" Steve asked quietly as he pulled off his black undershirt and discarded it in the hamper. He went to work unbuttoning his jeans, occasionally looking up at his wife under his lashes as she sat in her vanity chair, resting her chin on the back of it. "You plan on wearing that to bed tonight?"

"I can't lose you again Steve."

He looked up after tossing his jeans in the hamper, wearing only his boxers as his wife looked up at him from her chair. He knelt down next to her and she placed her hand firmly on his chest. He grabbed it and leaned his head until his forehead rested against hers. "Kayla, I'm trying to save our son."

"And if you fail and die in the process, then I'm left alone," Kayla argued, yanking her hair over her shoulder as she reached for her brush.

"Then come with me."

Kayla met Steve's gaze and found him smiling at her weakly, his eyes betraying the bravery he was trying to show her. Kayla took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, unzipping her vest quickly, "You always try to keep me out of harm's way. I'm surprised you want me to come along on this time travel extravaganza."

Steve shrugged a little, grinning as Kayla brushed her long hair, "I thought we lived together or we died together?"

"Yeah, when I say it it's romantic- when you say it, it sounds like you are leading me to my demise." Kayla teased, setting the brush down and standing to remove her vest and undershirt. Once undressed, she crawled into the bed where Buddy was already waiting impatiently for her, "It's been so long. What's it going to be like to have everyone back? To pick up where we left off?"

"It's going to be worth it, plus, it could be fun," Steve answered, crawling under the covers beside her and placing his large hand on her pink cheek. "We don't know what the future will bring, but lets at least look into it, alright? There's a good chance this won't work, but we need to exhaust all our options. Will you help?"

Kayla groaned, pushing her head farther into the pillow as Steve turned off the light, "Yeah, I'll help. Although I don't think my chemistry degree will do much in the way of time travel."

Steve smiled as he closed his eyes, "You never know."

* * *

"Rise and shine. Nat's got an address and is picking us up in thirty minutes." Steve called as he turned on the shower in the bathroom.

"You should go without me. He hates me." Kayla mumbled into the black pillow she laid face down in.

Steve moved around to Kayla's side of the bed and scooped her up, flipping her in his arms so she was face up, "Kay, it's been five years. I'm sure he's over it."

"You say that, but I think you know it's not that simple," Kayla confessed, allowing Steve to carry her bridal style to the bathroom.

"You're right. He hates me and feels guilty about what happened with you. But this is bigger than us. He'll understand. Now let's get a move on."

"Alright, alright!" Kayla yelped as she wiggled out of Steve's hands and stripped to shower.

Once Kayla was out of sight, Steve began planning out the words he wanted to say to her, "So, you'll probably meet her today."

"Meet who?" Kayla called from the running water, and Steve winced as he tried to prepare to deliver his warning.

"Stark's little girl. Nat says her name is Morgan. She's four." Steve spouted, running off what little information he remembered Natasha telling him. It was Natasha who texted him early that morning to caution him about Kayla's response to the child. They didn't know how she would react.

There was a moment of silence from the shower, and Steve didn't say anything more, leaving Kayla to her thoughts. She already didn't want to come, and Steve knew this would be another sore spot with her, but he needed Kayla. Between himself, Natasha, Scott, and Kayla, she was the only one who could actually explain their thoughts to a scientific degree that Stark would get behind.

After another minute, the water turned off and Kayla pulled aside the curtain, taking the towel the Steve held out for her. "Little girl, huh?"

"Yeah. Rhodes showed Natasha a photo last time he was here. Nat says she's pretty cute." Steve responded warily, trying to gauge Kayla's reaction. She'd been doing well recently, but being around children was hard for her.

Kayla smiled a little, her mouth twitching as she thought. "I'm sure she is. Take a shower, I'll be ready to go when you're out. I'll make coffee for the road?"

Steve nodded, understanding his wife's change of subject as acceptance, "Sounds good Kay." She left the bathroom as he turned the shower back on, looking over his shoulder at her as he went. She took a seat at her vanity and began to brush through her wet hair, occasionally looking up into the mirror before looking back down at the wood.

Once she knew Steve was in the shower, she put the brush down and painted her lips her signature cherry red. She went to the closet and pulled out dark wash skinny jeans and her favorite pair of combat boots and a red button up blouse that she tucked into her jeans. Once dressed, Kayla quickly moved to the kitchen and began making coffee for the four of them. After pouring the hot beverage into four to-go mugs, Steve was already dressed in dark jeans and a dark shirt with a black jacket.

"You look... dark. Very, un-Captain America-y." Kayla deadpanned, handing Steve a mug. "Don't get me wrong, it's a good look."

A car horn was heard outside, signaling Natasha had arrived. Steve ignored his wife's comments, looking toward the door. "Let's go"

Author's Note: Ya'll notice how slow the first hour of Endgame is? Not in a bad way, its just a lot of sulking and mad about it, but since this story follows Endgame, it's gonna be slow before it picks up. So stay with me, friends! I'm plowing through this and I'm almost done writing! Please leave me a review or a comment- let me know how you think it's gonna end! (It's gonna be good, and if you all like this story, I've got a sequel planned out.) I'll post the next chapter when I get five reviews, so don't be a stranger! Have a great week everyone!


	94. Chapter 93

Author's Note: I said I wouldn't post this until I got five comments in a failed attempt at getting some feedback on this dang story. (Thank you to GoGreen43 who left me a review.) However, as much as I crave feedback, I also want to give you all new chapters for being such loyal readers and followers, so I've admitted defeat and decided to go ahead and post this chapter anyway. After all, it's Tony Stark's 49th birthday today, and this chapter is all about him. Happy reading!

Steve drove Natasha's car on the lakeside road, staring straight ahead as he prepared himself for the fast approaching conversation he'd need to have with Tony Stark. Last he'd spoken to Stark, Tony had made it very clear he wasn't happy with Steve's choice to abandon him and leave the Avengers in ruins. Tony blamed Steve's absence for his loss against Thanos, even if Steve was fighting his own war in Wakanda. Stark retaliated against Steve by having sex with his fiance... before Steve had the chance to.

He was not looking forward to this reunion.

"If anyone can figure this out, it's Tony. If we can get him on our side, we'll be able to harness the Quantum Realm." Natasha assured from the passenger seat next to Steve.

Kayla's eyes flickered up to look out the window, then flew back down to the quantum physics book she was diligently reading. It wasn't her specialty, but she knew she was their secret weapon in backing up Scott's idea.

 _If I can recreate Erskine's super soldier serum, I can figure out quantum physics._

Kayla bit her nails as she read, not noticing that Steve had pulled up to a modern log cabin settled on a peaceful lake. When he put the car in park, she finally looked up, seeing they were there. She looked over to Scott, and he just smiled encouragingly at the blonde. Natasha was the first out of the car, followed quickly by Scott. Steve heaved himself out of the driver's seat as Kayla opened the door, hanging out the side of the car as she studied the man in front of her.

He didn't seem to notice her, because as soon as Tony saw Steve, he turned and continued walking toward the porch of his cabin, holding a little brunette girl in his arm. He turned around once he was up the stairs, and Natasha tossed her head up in a casual greeting, which he returned, but Stark said nothing to Natasha's companions.

When Steve looked to Nat, she motioned toward the home with her head and started toward the porch as Steve moved toward the back of the car, holding out his hand to help Kayla up. Kayla continued to stare at the porch where Tony had gone, almost mesmerized by the man she once knew.

"Are you okay Kayla?" Steve asked quietly as she continued to stare with her mouth open slightly. She finally turned to see Steve staring at her, head tilted questioningly. He was worried about her. What else was new?

"I'm fine." She assured the soldier, patting him on the chest under his black jacket, "Let's get going."

Natasha led Scott, Steve, and Kayla up to the porch where Tony reappeared with a pitcher of beverage for his old friends, and Scott. Tony gestured to the bench across from the wooden table, "Take a seat Cap. Romanoff. Ellis...Lang?"

"Rogers." Kayla corrected, sitting across from the genius while the other three continued to stand. "We've been married seven years now."

"Wow, time does fly doesn't it?" Tony asked as he began to pour the chocolatey brown drink into individual glasses. "So what brings you all out here?"

"Tony, we think we've figured it out a way to bring everybody back. Through the Quantum Realm. Go in at one point, come out at another. We can make our own gauntlet and undo the snap." Steve started, still standing as he faced his old teammate, studying Tony wearily as he handed Kayla a glass.

"We know what it sounds like-" Scott started, trying to build on Steve's explanation.

"Tony, after everything you've seen, is anything really impossible?" Steve added quickly before Tony cut him off.

Tony looked up from pouring the drinks to raise a brow at Steve, disproving their idea, "Quantum fluctuation messes with the Planck scale, which then triggers the Deutch proposition, can we agree on that?" Tony asked Kayla, and the blonde sighed, placing her arm over the back of the bench and resting her cheek against her fist wearily.

Tony handed Steve a glass and the blonde man begrudgingly thanked him as he took it, sighing wearily as Tony destroyed all their ideas.

"In layman's terms, it means you're not coming home." Tony finished, looking from Scott to Natasha over his shoulder. Kayla sat on the bench behind Scott Lang, listening carefully and mulling over the information she'd read.

"I did." Scott informed Tony defensively, but the genius had an answer for everything.

"No, you accidentally survived. It's a billion to one cosmic fluke. And now you want to pull a, what do you call it?" Tony asked as he took a step closer to Scott.

Scott shrugged, trying to find his words to address Tony Stark, "A time heist?" Scott looked around with a smile on his face, proud of his idea.

Tony looked around at the four of them, "Yeah, a time heist. Why didn't we think of this before? Oh, because it's laughable? Because it's a pipedream. Ellis, as the second smartest person on this deck, please tell your husband and friends that this is a bad idea."

Kayla scoffed, staring up at Tony with disgusted eyes, "I think you aren't giving it a fair chance, Stark." Kayla muttered as she took a long drink of her beverage, leaning back against the bench.

"The stones are in the past. We could go back and we could get them." Steve argued, desperation in his eyes as he tried to get Tony onboard with their plan.

Natasha's cold determination was aimed at Tony in full force as she faced him, further explaining, "We can snap our own fingers. We can bring everybody back."

"Or screw it up worse than he already has." Tony countered promptly.

Steve was stoic as he debated with Tony, never taking his eyes off the man, "I don't think we would."

"Got to say this, sometimes I miss that giddy optimism. However, high hopes won't help if there's no logical, tangible way for me to safely execute said time heist." Tony sat down across from Kayla, leaning into his chair as he addressed his friends. "I believe the most likely outcome will be our collective demise."

"Not if we strictly follow the rules of time travel." Scott started, taking a seat next to Kayla.

The blonde rolled her eyes and leaned back, looking over her shoulder at the lake as she muttered under her breath, "Oh, here we go."

"No talking to our past selves, no betting on sporting events-" Scott explained eagerly as Natasha crossed to stand next to Steve near the railing, across from Tony.

Tony put up his hand to Ant-Man and leaned in closer, "I'm going to stop you right there, Scott. Are you seriously telling me that your plan to save the universe is based on Back to the Future?"

"No, our plan is clearly based on Back to the Future II." Kayla defended, taking another long swig of her drink. "We just, don't know all the variables. That's where you come in. We need you, Tony. Please." Kayla pleaded as she reached across the table and grabbed Tony's hand. "We can't do this without you, without your expertise we have no shot."

Natasha had her head down, and spoke quietly, "Tony, we have to take a stand." Her pursed lips made Kayla worried that she was about to start crying again.

Tony stared up at the redhead with hard, dark eyes, "We did stand. And yet, here we are." He looked to Steve, who's expression stayed neutral, even if his heart was plummeting through the wooden deck.

"I know you got a lot on the line," Scott said softly to the man, "You got a wife, a daughter. But I lost someone very important to me. A lot of us did."

At Scott's words, Tony broke his gaze away from the man to the woman sitting across from him, biting down on her tongue as she looked up at the roof, trying to keep herself from crying.

Scott began to grow more passionate as he started to lose his temper with the billionaire, "We have a chance to bring her back, bring everyone back. And you're telling me you won't even-"

"That's right Scott. I won't. Leave it. I got a kid." Tony told Scott coldly as Ant-Man stared at him with disbelieving eyes.

Suddenly, the little patter of footsteps alerted the team to Morgan's presence. The little girl ran up into Tony and he picked her up, flopping her onto his lap as she hugged him. "Mommy told me to come save you."

"Good job. I'm saved." Tony told his daughter as he leaned his face against her head lovingly. The sight took Kayla's breath away. She sat with her mouth open and brows crunched in devastated awe. She wanted that so damn badly. She could have that, if Tony only said yes...

Tony stood, holding the little girl in his arms as she rested limply against his chest, "I wish you'd come here to ask me something else. Anything else. Honestly, I missed you guys. Oh, and the tables set for seven-"

As Stark passed Steve, the blonde stopped him with his words, only inches from Tony's face, "Tony, I get it. And I'm happy for you, I really am. But this... this is a second chance." Kayla stood, moving to stand next to Steve as she swallowed hard.

Tony looked from Steve to Kayla, then back to Steve, guilt plaguing his expression, "I got my second chance right here Cap. I can't roll the dice again." Tony looked to Kayla, seeing her eyes locked onto the child, "I hate to say this, but if it were the other way around, would you do it?"

Without hesitation, Steve and Kayla answered at the same time, but while Steve said "Yes", Kayla said "No". The couple looked at each other, Steve tilting his head as he gave her a baffled look. "What?"

Kayla took a deep breath as she met her husband's eyes. "Steve... we are asking too much."

Steve just gawked at his wife as Tony took advantage of the easy way out, "Morgan, why don't you go with Auntie Kayla. Go show her the painting you made yesterday." Tony handed the child to Kayla, and the little girl latched onto Kayla naturally, causing the blonde to stiffen at the contact. She looked with panicked eyes from Tony to Steve, opening her mouth to speak, but her husband cut her off.

"We better get moving. It's a long drive back home. Thanks for the help, Tony." He sneered, and Kayla looked from Steve to Tony as her husband walked away from the small table back toward the car.

"Does this mean we aren't staying for lunch?" Kayla called after Steve, and Morgan ran her fingers through Kayla's long blonde hair.

"You have pretty hair like Mommy," Morgan told Kayla, and the super soldier almost swooned.

Steve turned back to his wife as Natasha and Scott passed her slowly, heading toward the car, "Kayla, let's go. Now."

Kayla looked to Tony, and he motioned for her to hand him his daughter back. She frowned as she gave the child back to Tony, then trudged back to Nat's car. When she reached it, Kayla looked back over her shoulder sadly as she reached the car door. Morgan waved at them shyly, and Kayla waved back as Natasha spoke.

"He's scared," Natasha said as she slid into the passenger seat beside Steve.

Cap sighed, "He's not wrong. But I don't like him playing my wife like that." Steve looked up in the rearview mirror and saw Kayla's pleading eyes asking him to stay, but they had to move. Steve threw the car into reverse and began backing out of the driveway as Kayla crossed her arms, staring at Steve in the rearview mirror so he knew she was unhappy.

"Yeah, but what are we gonna do? We need him, are we gonna stop?" Scott asked nervously as he leaned in between the drivers and passengers seat.

"No, but I wanna do it right," Steve answered, his jaw tight. Steve stole a peek at Kayla before putting his eyes back on the road ahead and adding, "We're gonna need a really big brain."

"Bigger than his?" Scott asked incredulously, looking out the back window of the car at the cabin as it faded away.

"Kayla?" Steve asked, meeting his wife's green eyes in the rearview mirror. "Kay."

"Yes, Steven?" Kayla asked curtly as she pulled her mouth into a tight line.

"We aren't giving up. We'll figure this out, with or without Stark." Steve promised, glancing back at the road before stealing one more glance at the woman behind him. She sighed as she pulled her hair over her shoulder, adjusting her red blouse in her jeans. She twisted her mouth thoughtfully, then smiled as she stared down at her hands as they rested in her lap, knowing her husband would never let her down.

 **Author's Note: Real talk, does anyone know what the heck they are drinking in this scene? I say it's chocolate milk, my husband says its some sort of protein drink. Leave me what you think in the reviews. And just review, favorite, and follow in general!**


	95. Chapter 94

Buddy was barking loudly at the door to the apartment when Steve unlocked it, and the dog happily jumped up into Kayla's arms as she entered behind Steve. She cradled the massive dog in her arms, pressing a kiss against his head before setting him down on the ground. She sat down in a kitchen chair and began removing her boots, taking extra care to focus on the zipper as she pulled them off. She could see Steve leaning against the door frame of their bedroom out of the corner of her eye, but she didn't really have anything to say.

She wasn't mad at Steve. In fact, she was quite the opposite. She was mad at herself. Mad that she sided with Stark. Mad that she couldn't come up with a better reason for Tony to help them. Kayla was mad that she couldn't put her family first- but- it seemed she'd become empathetic. When she saw that little girl... Kayla couldn't bear the thought of that child losing her father, even if they needed Tony to get their own child back.

"You know, you aren't talking, but I can see your thoughts clear as day," Steve called from the doorway. He smirked at Kayla as her head flew up to get a better look at him. "I'm not mad at you, for what you said to Stark. I'm just... surprised."

"Steve, you saw him with Morgan, we can't ask him to risk losing her. What if us going back for the stones changes the past, what if something happens and Morgan is never born. How can we ask Tony to give up his family so we can have one of our own? That's not you Steve." Kayla whimpered as she stood, and he met her where she stood, placing his large hands on her waist.

"But... it's you. You always put me and us before everything and everyone else, and I was really hoping you'd do that now so I could justify what we are going to do. Tony's scared. I get that. I'm scared. I'm scared of failing you, and I'm scared of succeeding. What if we make things worse?" Steve squeezed Kayla's hands and she laughed.

"You are so dramatic. I'm hungry, make some dinner?" Kayla requested. "Also, I resent that. You want me to be selfish so you can blame it on me?"

"Not 'blame' per se..." Steve chuckled and pulled out his cell one from his jacket pocket. "I'm giving Bruce a call, I want to see if he can meet us tomorrow morning. I'll start dinner if you pack a duffle bag. We may want to spend a few nights at the compound. We're going to be busy."

"Aye aye, Captain." Kayla teased, running her hand along Steve's torso as she led Buddy into the bedroom to pack.

 _Captain._

Steve wasn't sure if he was ready to become Captain America. He wasn't sure if he was ready to lead the Avengers back into battle. He wasn't Captain America anymore, even if that's what everyone still thought of him as. He was Steve Rogers. Husband and friend, but a leader? Not anymore. Those days were long gone... right?

* * *

"Table for five please." Kayla requested with a smile as she approached the hostess at the diner they'd agreed to meet Bruce at. "Maybe a booth, and a chair. Uh, a large chair." Kayla added thoughtfully, her eyes widening as she imagined seeing Bruce again.

The hostess nodded slowly, eyeing the girl warily, "You look familiar..."

"Kayla Ellis. President's daughter. I died. Well, not permanently, of course." Kayla replied, giving the young woman her signature million dollar smile.

The raven-haired employee looked her up and down skeptically, "Alright, whatever you say."

Kayla turned to Steve, and he patted her arm supportively, "It's fine honey. She's young, you've been... gone, for a while."

"I forgot I was irrelevant," Kayla grumbled, slouching as Natasha followed the woman to a booth by the large window overlooking the street. Steve slid in first, and Natasha followed suit as Kayla moved into the booth across from Steve. Scott plopped down next to Kayla and smiled at her cheerfully. Kayla smirked back at the man, stretching her long, lean leg under the table to rub Steve's leg with her calf. Steve shivered at the contact, turning cherry red as he looked to Kayla, but she didn't react. Teasing Steve came as natural as breathing for the blonde beauty.

Kayla nonchalantly looked over her shoulder and chirped, "He's here!"

Steve and Natasha's eyes widened as Bruce walked into the establishment, seeing him for the first time since his transformation. Kayla busied herself looking at the menu, always hungry, and rarely phased. Having spent time with Bruce in the Gamma Lab, she'd been around for the good, the bad, and the traumatizing. As Bruce pulled out the chair to sit, Scott practically jumped into Kayla's lap at the sight.

"Natasha! Steve! It's so good to see you guys!" Bruce explained as Natasha rose politely to give the large green man a hug.

"It's good to see you too Bruce." Natasha smiled sweetly as Steve leaned across to shake Bruce's hand.

"Sup." Kayla threw her head up in casual greeting, and Bruce gave her a curt wave and a beaming smile.

Steve settled back into his seat as Natasha joined him again, and the waitress approached Bruce eagerly to take his order. "Will you have the usual Doctor?"

"Of course, thank you, Stacey," Bruce replied with a smile, then settled back into his chair to face his friends. "So what's new with you all?"

"We are here to talk to you about something... it's going to sound a little crazy." Steve started, looking across the table at Kayla as she looked to Stacey to place their order.

"Can we get five glasses of water, and a pot for coffee, please?" Kayla requested, and the waitress nodded politely as she walked back to the kitchen.

Bruce looked over and extended his hand to Scott, "I'm Bruce Banner."

"Scott Lang," Scott answered softly, tentatively shaking Bruce's large green hand.

Once the pleasantries were finished, Bruce turned back to Steve, "So, what's this crazy thing you are wondering about?"

"Time travel." Kayla blurted, looking up at Bruce from over the menu. "Scott here thinks we can use the Quantum Realm to go back before the snap, and collect the Infinity Stones... use them to bring everybody back."

Bruce stared at the blonde woman who kept his gaze, her mouth a tight line. Before he could speak, Stacey brought a massive bowl of scrambled eggs and set them in front of Bruce while holding a tray with their waters on the other hand. As she passed out their beverages, Kayla thanked the girl with a brilliant smile that fell as soon as the waitress walked away.

Bruce picked up a fork and began digging into the eggs hungrily as Kayla downed her water without coming up for air.

Scott still stared at Bruce, stuck on the whole "Professor Hulk" thing. He'd never met Bruce or Hulk before, but this wasn't what he expected when Steve said they were going to meet with Bruce Banner.

Steve and Natasha watched Bruce eat wearily, noting the scientist wasn't taking their meeting as seriously as they had hoped. He seemed to find their plan as laughable as Tony had. "We need help figuring out how to navigate the Quantum Realm. We think we have a real shot of bringing everyone back."

"I feel like I'm the only one eating, have some eggs!" Bruce pushed the massive bowl of scrambled eggs toward Scott and Kayla leaned over the man to take a bite. She chewed slowly, looking at Scott with an expression that told him to play along.

"I'm so confused," Scott admitted with a shake of his head.

Bruce smiled genuinely at the man as he reached for the coffee pot to pour himself a cup, "These are confusing times."

"No, no that's not what I meant-" Scott tried to backtrack, and Kayla rolled her eyes dramatically, causing Bruce to laugh.

"I know, I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" He exclaimed. "I know, it's crazy! I'm wearing shirts now!"

"By the way," Kayla raised her index finger to get Bruce's attention, "I am loving this t-shirt and sweater look."

"Thanks, I appreciate that," Bruce told Kayla and she grinned back as she took another bite of his eggs. Steve turned to his wife with an exasperated look that she skillfully ignored.

"How? Why?" Scott blurted out, still staring at Bruce with wide eyes.

While Bruce explained to Scott how he came about merging the Hulk and himself together, Kayla pulled out her phone and texted Steve.

 _This is going down well, don't you think?_

Steve felt his cell vibrate in his pocket and pulled out the device to read her message. He kept his face down as his eyes lifted up to meet hers. He looked back down and began to type slowly, and Kayla looked down at her own phone to see his reply.

 _Yeah, like the Titanic._

Kayla giggled, and Natasha, Bruce, and Scott turned to look at her. "Sorry, continue." She waved her hands at them to get back to their conversation as three kids wandered up to the table. Kayla pulled out her phone once Bruce's attention was taken by the kids asking for a photo.

 _Nice reference. I didn't realize you knew about that._

Steve scowled at Kayla playfully before typing back:

 _I was born six years after it happened._

"Oh, I never considered that. That's trippy." Kayla replied out loud, and Natasha leaned over Steve's shoulder to read his messages to his wife.

"You- are an idiot." She told Kayla before getting distracted with a back and forth between Bruce, Scott, and the three kids who didn't know who Ant-Man was.

Finally, Scott shoved the phone across the table, "Just take the goddamn phone." Steve took a long drink of his water as Natasha stared at the table, feeling as uncomfortable as the others.

"Thank you, Mr. Hulk." The girl told Bruce as they prepared to leave him alone.

Bruce called after them as they left, "Thank you very much! Dab!" He said as he dabbed.

"Bruce." Steve barked, but Banner ignored him.

"Listen to your mom. She knows better." Bruce called as they went back to their own table.

Kayla's eyes were saucers as she threw her arms out, "Do you know their mother? What have you been doing since I left you?"

"About what we were saying?" Steve said calmly as he finally got Bruce to focus on their request.

Banner sighed reluctantly, "Right." He leaned back in his chair, looking at Steve thoughtfully, "The whole time travel do-over. You know guys, it's outside our area of expertise-"

"I've been studying quantum physics for the past two days. My brain is mush." Kayla deadpanned as she stared ahead, zoned out like a zombie.

"She can do what I can do, possibly better. If she can't figure it out, what makes you think I can?" Bruce asked, gesturing toward Kayla as she snapped out of her trance and stared at him.

The corner of Kayla's mouth turned up in a small smile, "I learned everything from you. Everything I've accomplished... I couldn't have done it without you."

"You pulled this off Bruce." Natasha said, gesturing toward the Hulk with her eyes, "I remember a time when this seemed impossible too."

Bruce bopped his head thoughtfully, considering this for a moment. He looked from Natasha to Steve, then spared a glance at Kayla. "If I do this, you've got to pull your weight."

Kayla pointed to herself, surprised that someone actually _wanted_ her to use her scientific knowledge. "Uh, okay. Sure. I guess."

"Let me head back to the house, I'll get Sasa and pack, then meet you all at the compound to begin working. Say, eleven-thirty tomorrow?" Bruce said as he stood to leave.

"Thanks, Bruce. We really appreciate this." Natasha told him with a genuine smile.

"Don't mention it. I'll see you all tomorrow." Bruce gave a small wave as he wandered out of the restaurant. As he left, Stacey came back to collect all the empty bowls from Bruce's meal. She pulled the bill off of her notepad and handed it to Steve, who stared at the total with wide eyes before digging out a wad of cash from his wallet.

"Thanks for breakfast honey." Kayla baby talked as Steve shoved his wallet back into his pants pocket.

As they stood, Steve clamped a hand hard on Kayla's shoulder, "Better get back to the books darling. You've got a lot of work to do."


	96. Chapter 95

2:00 am

Kayla rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hand as she jerked her head back, trying to wake back up. She'd been speed reading through book upon book about quantum physics and the science behind the fabric of time. Kayla Dawn Rogers had never even heard of eigenvalues in her life, but she'd read two whole books about it in four hours. She still didn't understand it any better than she had two days before when Bruce told them he'd help them create their time machine.

"Kay." Steve groaned as he rolled over to face Kayla as she leaned against the headboard, placing her book on her stomach as she turned her head to see him. "Time for sleep. You've learned everything you can for tonight."

"What if it's still not enough? The only thing worse than us not being able to make it work would be if it works incorrectly. If we do this, we have to make sure it's safe. I'm not letting you or Nat or Bruce anywhere near a faulty time machine."

"You forgot Scott," Steve mumbled, grabbing onto her strong thigh and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Bedtime, please."

"I don't know Scott that well, and it's his idea." Kayla shrugged, picking up the textbook and closing it before setting it on the bedstand and turning off the light.

As Kayla wiggled into the covers, Steve wrapped his strong arm around her and pulled her close, pressing a kiss against her forehead, "I love you, Kay. Sleep well."

"I love you too Steve," Kayla mumbled, rubbing her face against his thin t-shirt as she settled into sleep.

As Kayla finally dozed off, Steve laid awake for the first time in a long time, finding himself unable to rest as he thought about what the day ahead would bring. How long would it take for Bruce and Kayla to figure out how to navigate the Quantum Realm? And when, and if, they succeeded, would it be safe? For the past several days, Bruce and Kayla had worked relentlessly on Scott's Quantum Realm van and created a machine Bruce thought he could use to control when the person would be sent to. Bruce was ready to test it in the morning, but Kayla was convinced it wasn't ready, so she continued to study, trying to find a definitive problem or solution.

Steve gently removed his arm from around Kay as he pushed himself off of the bed, tiptoeing out of the bedroom and into the kitchen so he wouldn't wake up his wife. Buddy lifted his head at the movement and jumped off the bed, following Steve out into the other room. Steve put his finger to his lips to silence the dog, but Buddy didn't understand, he simply sat at the foot of Steve's chair wagging his tail as his tongue flopped out of his mouth. Before he sat, Steve reached up onto the top of the bookshelf and pulled down his sketchbook. As he settled into the chair, he flipped to a clean page and began to let his fingers work against the paper.

He let the moonlight illuminate his paper as he drew, and he drew his family, the one he almost had, the one _Thanos_ took away from him. Steve let himself smile as he drew Kayla with a little blonde boy, and Steve selfishly made him look a little like himself.

"He was skinnier. When Thanos showed me in Wakanda." Kayla informed Steve as she walked behind him, opening up the refrigerator.

Steve startled at her voice and jumped out of his chair a bit, turning to see her pull out a carton of chocolate milk and twist off the lid, taking a long drink from the bottle before placing it back into the fridge. "What are you doing up? You need to sleep." Steve chastised as he closed his sketchbook.

"You should be sleeping too, but, here we are." Kayla threw her arms out to her sides. She approached Steve slowly, pulling out the chair beside him to plop down in, "I'm too anxious. About the time heist. I want them back, more than anything, you know that... but, I'm scared we could screw it up."

"We won't Kay. It'll be a fool-proof plan, we won't do it if it isn't." Steve assured Kayla as he opened his book back up and flipped it to the drawing he'd been working on. "Skinny huh? That's a little odd don't you think?"

Kayla smiled dreamily as she rose, wrapping her arms around Steve's neck as she leaned into him. "There's a lot more to you than super soldier serum, darling. And there's a lot more to our son, too." Kayla kissed his cheek and grabbed his right hand that he used to sketch. "As hard as it is for either of us to sleep, I think we should try. Right?"

Kayla felt Steve sigh before nodding against her cheek, "Right." He stood and faced Kayla, giving her a proper kiss before leading her back to bed.

Once back in the sheets, Kayla and Steve both laid on their backs and stared at the ceiling. Kayla broke the silence first, "What would you want to name him?"

"Our son?" Steve clarified, grabbing her hand under the covers to stroke his thumb across her soft skin.

"Yeah. Maybe giving him a name will make this possibility feel more real." Kayla breathed, her voice weak as if caught in the back of her throat.

Steve furrowed his brows, continuing to draw circles in the ceiling with his blue eyes, "Maybe we shouldn't yet. Because if this test crashes and burns tomorrow, you don't want to have a name to cling to forever."

"So if the test is successful, we'll pick a name tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, That sounds fair." Steve replied quickly, squeezing her hand a little tighter, "I hope it works, Kay."

"Me too Steve." Kayla yawned, finally feeling her eyelids become heavy as her body drug her into sleep, "Me too."

Steve smiled to himself as he heard Kay begin to snore quietly, something she vehemently denied. He stole a glance at the sleeping blonde and closed his eyes, praying that everything would work out well in the morning.

Kayla tossed their shared duffel bag into the trunk of their little red car before slamming it closed. She looked up and clicked her tongue, and Buddy came scampering from his seated place on the doorstep of the apartment complex, holding the little Captain America lunchbox holding his food and toys in his mouth.

"Who's a good boy? You are! And when everything is said and done, you'll have your daddy and brother and sisters back!" Kayla baby talked the dog and he jumped into the backseat, depositing his lunchbox obediently on the seat beside him as he laid down.

"Don't tell him that." Steve warned, peaking into the backseat, "He'll sabotage the whole thing to stay your favorite."

Kayla scoffed, offended by Steve's words, "Lies. You know I don't play favorites."

"Zawadi will always be your baby," Steve argued playfully, opening up the red car door for Kayla to slide into the passenger seat.

She opened her mouth to argue as she plopped into the seat, but closed it as she pulled the seatbelt across her. "I plead the fifth."

"Uh huh, I wonder why." Steve teased as he took his place in the driver's seat. He started their beat-up car and looked over his shoulder as she backed out of the parking spot. Kayla crossed one ankle over the other as she rested her feet up on the dash, looking over to Steve to see if he would scold her. When he just smirked toward the road, she leaned back against the seat and sighed, watching the sun begin to rise over the horizon.

"Who's ready for time travel?" Bruce called out as Steve and Kayla walked toward him. They had turned the former Avengers hangar into a time travel lab, as it was the only place large enough to drive Scott's van into. The sun was bright beyond the massive windows overlooking the rest of the compound.

Natasha led Scott into the hangar, and the man looked apprehensive wearing his new Ant-Man suit. Bruce and Kayla had worked on creating Scott a suit suitable for diving into the Quantum Realm safely.

Scott looked around, impressed by the Quinjet parked beyond his van. The aircraft was almost a relic now, something that hadn't been flown in ages. The Avengers Headquarters a sacred place that no longer held any power in a post-Thanos world.

Sasa and Hope rushed up to Buddy, jumping on him as he laid at Kayla's feet. He looked up at her with sad eyes, but Kayla's focus was on the man approaching. "How's the suit, Scott?" She said casually as he approached, shifting uncomfortably in his hefty boots.

"Fits like a dream." He said with a thumbs up at the blonde, and Kayla's brow piqued, not believing the man as he pulled down on the pant leg.

"Steve, go check the breakers, make sure they are set correctly. Maybe see if the backup generators need to be dusted off, you know, just in case." Bruce said, staring down at his control board as he flipped several switches to calibrate with Scott's time travel suit.

"On it." Steve answered as he swiftly stormed out of the room to check on the power.

With Steve gone, Kayla motioned with her left hand for Scott to follow her as Bruce handed Natasha and iPad and gave her directions on how to set up Scott's vitals on it. Once away from the others, Kayla stooped by the van and picked up a large glass helmet. "You sure you're ready for this Lang?"

"Of course. I mean, what do we have to lose? We'll never get everyone back if we don't try." He told Kayla bravely, and she smiled at his optimism, but her optimism had faded through the years and she'd become the realist of the group.

She tilted her head down to look him in the eyes, her own serious and sad at the same time, "You have a daughter Scott. You've already missed five years of her life. Are you willing to risk missing the rest of it?"

Scott leaned his head back and groaned, "I was trying to be noble and you just went and broke me down like that? I'm terrified. Absolutely terrified." He quieted, looking to Bruce and Natasha to see them staring at him. When his glance found them, the two began looking at the control board together, pretending they hadn't been eavesdropping, "I know that you understand. You've never outwardly said you lost your kid, but I connected the dots. You lost your kid. I lost the woman I love. We're getting them back. Whatever it takes."

Kayla nodded, impressed, "Noble huh?"

"I want Cap to like me," Scott admitted, looking over Kayla's shoulder in the direction Steve had gone. "What's he like, you know, in real life?"

Kayla pursed her lips in thought, tilting her head to look out the window beyond the van, "He's... Steve. He's a good guy. Loyal. Caring. Romantic. He's sassy... nobody ever expects him to be sassy, and it's hilarious. He's kind. He's everything you'd expect Captain America to be."

"How does a girl like you get a man like that?" Scott wondered aloud, and Kayla glared at him. When he caught her stare, he tried to backpedal, "I, uh, I mean-"

Kayla turned her face away, her dead, disbelieving eyes staring across the hangar, "I always thought it was my double d's and winning personality but to be honest I'm not so sure." She sneered, and Scott turned eleven shades of red before she laughed, "I'm kidding, I stole his blood to recreate the super soldier serum. He found me out, saved my life. I died for him... He never let me go." Kayla trailed off dreamily, thinking back to simpler times, when their life together was all adventure and the threat of death. All they had was each other.

"That's super romantic," Scott added, beaming at Kayla as she stared at him emotionless.

She let her eyes roam over him for a second before replying, "You... are odd."

Scott was a little taken aback by her words. Kayla wandered to the driver's seat of the van and put the key in the ignition. She heard Bruce call from his console to "Fire up, the, uh, the van."

As Kayla revved the engine to life, Scott pulled open the doors and revealed the quantum tunnel to be up and running.

"Breakers are set. Emergency generators are on standby." Steve updated as he strode quickly back into the hangar, hearing Bruce was prepared to begin. Kayla hopped out of the van and slammed the old door closed before walking around and peaking into the tunnel.

"This is awesome." She muttered in awe, looking at Scott with wide eyes before turning back to Bruce as Scott approached the Hulk.

"Good, cuz if we blow the grid, I don't wanna lose Tiny here in the 1950s," Bruce explained anxiously through clenched teeth as he pointed his thumb at Scott.

"Excuse me?" Scott yelped, staring down Banner.

"He's kidding!" Natasha singsonged, shaking her head as she looked down at her iPad, preparing to track Scott's vitals. She looked up with a playful smirk to Bruce and added, "You can't say things like that."

"Yeah, sorry, it was uh- it was- just a bad joke." Bruce stammered as he looked at Scott over his sweater. Scott nodded once, taking in the information before walking back to the van.

"You were kidding right?" Natasha clarified as she stared up at Bruce with serious eyes.

Bruce turned on her, whispering loudly, "I have no idea! We're talking about time travel here, either it's all a joke or none of it is!" He turned away from Natasha and gave Scott a thumbs up before informing him loudly, "We're good."

Natasha passed the iPad off to Kayla, who began taking notes about Scott's vital signs. Steve looked over her shoulder curiously as he stood to Bruce's right with his hands on his hips. "What are you looking at?"

"I need to take his vitals before he goes in, while he's in, and after he comes out. We need all the information we can get as to how his body is dealing with quantum travel. This," Kayla pointed to the tablet as she looked up into Steve's blue eyes, "Is something I _am_ very good at."

"She's one of the best chemists of this generation. Her knowledge of cellular changes within the human body is second to none." Bruce gushed, patting Kayla on the back hard, but the super strong woman didn't flinch. "You're in good hands."

Scott looked up from his place by the van after he pulled the glass helmet over his face. He gave Bruce two thumbs up and Natasha responded with a reassuring smile.

"Alright Scott, we're gonna send you back a week, let you walk around for an hour, then bring you back in ten seconds. Make sense?" Bruce explained as he leaned against the table.

Scott waved his hand dismissively, "Perfectly not confusing."

"Good luck Scott." Steve stared ahead strictly, his jaw tight. "You've got this."

Scott gave a proud nod, "You're right. I do Captain America." Before anyone could respond, Scott was sucked into the quantum tunnel.

Kayla's tablet began to beep wildly, and she scrunched her eyes as she took in the data. "What the hell?" Steve turned to her nervously, and she looked up at him from the pad, "His vitals are going haywire. Somethings wrong-"

"On the count of three- three... two...one..."

Bruce hit a button on his console and a boy no older than thirteen was spat out. Bruce adjusted his glasses as he took in the boy, looking to Kayla for an explanation. "Damn it." Was all the response Bruce got from the blonde as she typed on the touch screen.

"Guys, something doesn't feel right." The boy informed them nervously, and that sent Bruce panicking.

"Where's Scott? Is that Scott?" Natasha asked Bruce with her arms thrown to the side.

"Yes, it's Scott!" The boy exclaimed.

Kayla pointed to Bruce, her tone cold, "Age him up Banner, before he's stuck like this."

"Stuck like-" before Scott could protest he was sucked back into the tunnel and thrown out an elderly man. "Ow, my back!" He cried out upon reentry.

"Too much. We aged him too much!" Kayla shrieked, "Banner!"

"I need a little space,-I'm working on it, Rogers!" Bruce informed Steve before yelling back at Kayla.

"Can you bring him back?" Steve yelped as he crossed away from Bruce to stand next to Natasha. The two shared a panicked look as Scott was yanked back in and thrown out once more... as a baby.

"That's a baby." Steve deadpanned as he stared at the infant, seeing their test spiral out of control before their eyes.

"It's Scott!" Bruce defended, gesturing to him as his big eyes stared at the adults from inside the glass helmet.

"As a baby!" Steve whined, throwing both hands toward Scott as he stared at Bruce. Kayla smashed her tablet into Natasha's hands as Bruce continued to try and reset his control board.

"He'll grow! Kayla, Nat, you guys can take him right?" Bruce half-joked, but the terror on his face betrayed him as Steve got in his face. "Nat, when I say kill the power, kill the power!" Natasha rolled her eyes and groaned as she stormed away to the power grid.

"Bring Scott back!" Steve demanded angrily, and Kayla shoved Bruce away from the control and began to type feverishly.

Kayla looked up at the child, drawing her brows together before turning to Nat, "Kill it, now!"

Natasha pulled the power switch and Kayla smashed her fingers hard against the button on the control console and the Scott Lang they knew returned as quickly as he had disappeared.

"Somebody peed my pants." Scott admitted, frozen in his place, "I don't know if it was baby me..or old me. Or, just... me-me."

Bruce threw out his arms victoriously, looking to Steve, "Time travel!" When Steve just stared at him, Bruce added, "I, I see this as an absolute win."

Steve shook his head disbelievingly as he placed his hands on his hips and began to walk away. They were no closer to bringing everyone back than they were yesterday, and the closest thing Steve had to getting his son back was raising an infant Scott Lang.

"It's the EPR Paradox I warned you about yesterday Bruce, we could have killed him." Kayla hissed as she pushed herself around the control board and sprinted to Scott. "Are you okay? How do you feel?"

"Kinda mushy." He admitted, his head still tilted uncomfortably to the side out of fear of moving.

Kayla nodded understandingly, gesturing for Natasha to come to them, "Yeah, rapidly aging and de-aging can do that to you. Lots of your insides growing and shrinking, not fun stuff. Nat, can you get him to the living quarters. Maybe give him a glass of milk, gotta make sure those bones stay strong after we, uh, broke them." Kayla smiled grandly, putting on an act, but Scott's face dropped at her words. Natasha slung his arm over her shoulder and led him to the apartments to get cleaned up.

Kayla looked back toward Bruce, who was studying the data on his systems with his head in his hand. She looked around, seeing Steve was nowhere to be found.


	97. Chapter 96

"Steve!" Kayla called as she dashed out the front doors of the Avengers Compound, trying to find her husband. "Steve?" She looked around frantically until her eyes finally landed on his stiff figure leaning against one of the pillars by the road. She sighed deeply, slowly dragging her feet toward Steve as she shoved her hands in the pockets of her blue windbreaker. "Honey-"

"That was a disaster. We are tampering with something we don't understand, and we could have lost Scott." He told her bitterly, still staring off into the distance. He turned to face Kayla, his jaw tight as his eyes met hers for a fleeting moment, "I let you down again, Kay."

"You didn't let me down. It's only the first test, we'll keep moving. Clearly, the Quantum Realm holds some sort of time traveling abilities, we just have to figure out how to use them. This isn't over. We aren't giving up." Kayla assured the soldier, placing a gentle hand on his cheek as he smiled weakly at her, leaning into the touch.

He moved his face and kissed her palm before grabbing her hand and stroking it gently in his own, "What would I do without you?"

"You'll never find out," Kayla promised, her perfect teeth breaking through her red lips to beam at Steve. He held her hand in his left, but his right ran along the thin fabric of her black yoga pants, stroking her thigh as she leaned into him.

Steve's eyes fell to the ground, frustration finding its way back to the forefront of his mind, "We need help Kay, we can't figure this out without-"

Suddenly, the pair were interrupted by the sound of a sports car in the distance. The Rogers looked up to see a black car tearing down the drive toward the compound at lightning speed. Dust kicked up behind it as his rolled in front of them, stopping just a little too far. The car began to reverse and the driver's window rolled down as it settled in front of them.

Tony looked to Steve, and the blonde rolled his eyes, looking away from the billionaire's judgemental stare. Kayla's brow piqued, but she didn't speak, only watched Tony as he stared at her husband expectantly.

"Why the long face? Let me guess, he turned into a baby?"

"Among other things, yeah, what are you doing here?" Steve bit back, annoyed at Tony's presence after being so determined to avoid helping them days earlier.

"It's the EPR Paradox." Tony explained as he opened the car door.

Kayla looked up at Steve with an 'I told you so' glance, then cross her arms over her red crop top and windbreaker, watching as Tony emerged from his car.

"Instead of pushing Lang through time, you might have wound up pushing time through Lang. It's tricky. Dangerous. Somebody should have cautioned you against it." Tony informed the pair, looking off into the distance as he trailed off.

"You did," Kayla smirked, causing Tony to jerk his head back and smile knowingly at her.

"Oh did I?" He questioned playfully, and Kayla raised her chin defiantly, tapping her fingers against her forearm as she waited for him to gloat some more, "Thank God I'm here."

"Oh, our hero." Kayla bit back, leaning into Steve as he held her hip.

Tony winked at Kayla before looking up at her husband, "Regardless, I fixed it." He told Steve, holding up his wrist to show a band across the back of his hand. "A fully functioning time-space GPS." As Steve's hard expression melted into a grin, Tony added, backing away to lean on his car. "I just want peace. It turns out resentment is corrosive and I hate it."

"Me too." Steve admitted, and Kayla reached up with her left hand to press her fingers against his chest, seeing the honesty in his eyes as he apologized.

Tony pointed at Steve accusingly, but kept his tone even, "You did me wrong Rogers. You shouldn't have lied. That was terrible, and I didn't think you had it in you. But... what I did was worse." Tony looked to Kayla, tilting his head down so he could meet her eyes over his glasses, "I shouldn't have lied to you. I made you pay for his crimes, and that was wrong of me. I never should have let you believe he was dead. Staying silent is just as bad as lying and I'm sorry."

Kayla shifted uneasily under Tony's stare, but she finally shrugged, loosening her shoulders, "I probably shouldn't use sex as a way to deal with grief."

"Yeah, you came to me, but that's a story for a different time, we have a universe to save!" Tony quipped, seeing Steve begin to glower at him. He quieted, contemplating how to say what he needed to express, "We've got a shot at getting these stones, but I gotta tell you my priorities. Bring back what we lost? I hope- yes. Keep what I found? I have to, at all cost. And- maybe not die trying would be nice." He added as he sidled up in front of Steve.

Kayla looked up at Steve questioningly, waiting to see if he'd take the genius's deal. He knew they couldn't succeed without Tony. Steve looked down and nodded a little, understanding what Tony had at stake and how important his offer of a truce was. He thrust out his hand to Stark, "Sounds like a deal."

Stark took his hand and shook it, and chuckled a little when he saw Kayla visibly relax. After releasing Steve's hand he opened his arms to her, "Bring it in Ellis." Kayla accepted his hug, giving him a tight squeeze that caused him to cough a little, "Gosh, you are stronger than I remember you. You must keep him busy." Tony gestured to Steve, and the soldier rolled his eyes.

"Tony."

"What, Captain America and the President's Daughter, a match made in heaven with or without her getting the super soldier serum." Tony paused as he backed toward the trunk of his car, "Honestly, a big part of me coming was seeing you with Morgan. What happened to you two wasn't fair. It was easy, you know, for me to just pretend everything was fine, I lost so little... But seeing you with my daughter Kay, that tipped the scales for me. A little anyway." He shrugged, realizing he was letting too much emotion show. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, opening his car trunk. Steve followed him as Kayla hung behind, watching the scene before her unfold quietly.

As Steve reached the back of the car, he peeked into the truck, trying to figure out what Tony was hiding. The billionaire pulled out a heap of blankets and stuffed animals, then turned the disk on its side to reveal Captain America's shield, shiny and clean as if it was brand new.

Steve sighed at the shield, feeling defeated and guilty as his curious expression fell, "Tony, I don't know-"

"Why? He made it for you." Tony defended quietly.

Steve looked over his shoulder at Kayla, who leaned against the large white pillar with her hands shoved in her pockets. She tried hard to contain her beaming smile, but it crept out at the corners of her mouth despite her best efforts. She gave a long nod, telling her husband to take back the shield she'd spent so many years trying to get him to hang up. She was giving him permission. Kayla was _asking_ Steve to become Cap again.

Steve turned back to Tony, who spun the shield in his hands before latching it onto Steve's forearm, "Honestly, I have to get it out of the garage before Morgan takes it sledding."

Once secured onto his left arm, Steve lowered the shield and looked at it, feeling like he was himself again for the first time in many years. Feeling like he could do good again. "Thank you, Tony," Steve said breathlessly as he looked up to meet Stark's dark eyes.

"Will you keep that a little quiet, I didn't bring one for the whole team." Stark replied, turning to begin walking back toward the trunk of his car when he swung around to face Steve once more, "We are getting the whole team, yeah?"

"We're working on that right now," Steve assured Tony as Stark pulled a toolkit out of his trunk and closed it.

"Good, we'll need all hands on deck. First, we've got to build the quantum tunnel, something we can use to travel through the Quantum Realm. Then we'll figure out where we are going. Sound good?" Tony asked as he started walking toward the building, only to stop dead in his tracks at the sight of three massive Rhodesian Ridgebacks sitting just inside the glass doors, wagging their tails expectantly. "There's three of them now?"

"Four. Nebula has Faith, the sister. Technically, if this works, there will be eight!" Kayla called over her shoulder as she led the way to the compound, ready to calm the dogs before Stark entered the premise.

With Kayla out of earshot inside the compound, Tony turned to Steve, a mischevious grin on his face, "So, how is she?"

"She's doing okay, all things considered. She keeps me sane if you believe that-" Steve started, then looked at Tony and saw his face. Clearly, that wasn't what Stark was asking. "Oh, I'm not going to talk about that."

Tony clapped Steve on the back, his mouth open in a brilliant smile, "Just, man to man, making sure you can keep up, she's notorious-"

"I'm not having the conversation right now."

"I just need to make sure you don't need defibrillators installed in your bedroom, I'm only looking out for you Cap."

Steve swung open the glass door and Tony waltzed into the compound, looking around in disgust. Kayla knelt down next to the dogs, holding Buddy and Hope by the collars so they wouldn't jump onto the man, "I know, it's disgusting. Hasn't seen a lot of life in the past few years. It's just been Nat here after we moved out."

Stark spun around as he walked, taking in the dusty desks, "I'll get Happy to send someone over and start cleaning. It's going to be a lot busier the next few weeks."

"Weeks?" Kayla asked as she stood, holding her palm toward the ground as a signal for the dogs to stay.

Tony turned to her as he approached the door to the hangar, "Rome wasn't built in a day. And neither was time travel."

As the doors opened, Kayla released the dogs and they went running past Steve and Tony into the open hangar, getting Bruce's attention. When his eyes fell on his friend he cried out happily, "Tony! I thought you weren't coming?" Banner approached Stark with his arms open in welcome.

"Oh. Okay, this is a thing now. Clearly, I've missed a lot." Tony said to himself as he looked over at Steve.

"Yeah, Kayla helped. Took a lot of time and effort, but I'm loving it. My relationship with the Hulk has never been better." Bruce exclaimed as he clapped Stark on the shoulder.

Tony nodded, looking up at Banner, "Whatever makes you happy, buddy." After a moment he looked down and saw Kayla's dog panting up at him. "Rogers, your dog wants to eat me."

"His name is Buddy." Steve explained, patting him behind the ears as he stood at attention at Tony's feet.

Stark turned, his mouth pressed together questioningly, "I thought his name was- something weird sounding... with a Z."

"That was Zawadi, he was lost in the snap. This is his son." Steve explained evenly, gesturing to the large dog.

"My God, what are we going to do with all these animals. I blame Ellis, she started this." Tony pointed to Kayla, who was pulling her long hair into a messy bun on top of her head.

She just shrugged, "He was lonely. We found that out when... anyway, puppies." She concluded as she finished winding the scrunchie around the mass of hair. "So, where do we start?"

"We start by getting that ugly piece of shit out of here. I can't look at it anymore." Tony motioned toward the van, and Kayla trotted over, closing the large doors before getting into the driver's seat. "Also, I'm hungry, long drive from the cabin. Pizza anyone? Cap, go get some pizza, I've got to start going over blueprints with Banner."

"Get in, we'll take the van for pizza!" Kayla called as she leaned out of the quantum tunnel van. Steve just smiled and shook his head, feeling like they may actually have a chance at undoing Thanos's work.

As Kayla slammed her foot against the gas, speeding the van out of the hangar, the dogs began barking loudly, startling Tony. Natasha wandered in, followed closely by Scott. When Nat saw Tony she extended her arms for a hug, but Scott just stood to the side, staring out the open door of the hangar. "Wait, why did they take my van?"


	98. Chapter 97

Kayla sped Scott's dirty old van down the dirt road away from the Avengers Compound toward the nearest pizza joint she could think of. She blasted country music as Steve bopped his head beside her. His shield rested against his legs in front of him, and he held the back of Kayla's seat with his left arm as she drove.

Steve looked at Kayla as she sang along with the music. Her messy bun was so thick it hit against the roof of the car, but she didn't' seem to notice. Her cherry red lips popped against her makeup-less skin and made her teeth sparkle more than they already did. Her loose blue windbreaker blew casually in the air conditioning, and Steve leaned forward just a smidge so he could see her toned abs below her red crop top. He smiled to himself as he took in his wife at that moment. She was wild, and free, not unlike the way she appeared to Steve the first night he met her when she wined and dined him like any man. She did whatever she wanted with whomever she wanted and she _knew_ exactly what she wanted. Over the years, she'd been broken down, and Steve always pushed the feeling of guilt to the back of his mind. He was the reason she became more careful, more tamed. He was the reason she'd given up everything, and he brought her so much worry and pain.

"You know," He started as the song faded into a commercial and Kayla turned down the radio, "This shield is heavier than I remembered it."

Kayla stole a quick glance at Steve, and saw him staring intently at her, "It is." She agreed, looking back to the road, "There's a reason you are the one who carries it."

Steve nodded at her words, turning to look down the road ahead, "Maybe once this is all over with, I'll find someone to pass the load to."

Kayla's breath caught in her throat, and her eyes darted to Steve as she began to slow down, nearing the pizza place. "The world needs Captain America, Steve. It's your duty. It always has been." Kayla pulled into a parking spot and parked the van, turning to Steve.

"Maybe it doesn't need to be my duty anymore. I'm getting old Kay." Steve moved his hand to rest on her thigh, and she breathed deeply, watching his hand nervously, "I'd like to spend the rest of my life with you, to make a family. I want what Tony has."

"And if this doesn't work? What if we can't bring him back." Kayla swallowed as her red lip quivered.

"It will. And once he's here, I'm giving the shield up once and for all. Just like I told you I would." Steve promised, giving her leg a reassuring squeeze. "I have a few ideas of who should take up the mantle-"

"No Bucky." Kayla snapped quickly, and Steve looked taken back by her words.

"Okay... why?" Steve questioned as he leaned his shoulder into the back of his seat, listening intently.

Kayla looked ahead for a moment, running her tongue along her molars as she thought, "He wants to rest. He's done fighting. You slept for seventy years. He spent most of that time-fighting. If you asked him, he'd do it. For you. But it's not what's best for him."

Steve nodded thoughtfully, looking ahead at the restaurant, then looking at the time, "So I guess we're on the same page?"

"I think we should get them back before you start giving away your job, don't you think darling?" Kayla chuckled, leaning over to pat the vibranium shield before returning her hand to her stomach. "I'm starving, go pick up the pizzas."

Steve gave Kayla a chaste kiss before leaving the van, pulling out his wallet as he entered the building. Once alone, Kayla leaned back against the seat and let her daydreams overtake her.

 _If this works. If we can get the stones, and bring everybody back, Steve and I will have a kid. He'll hang up the shield and we'll start a family, and we'll finally live happily ever after. We'll finally be able to rest._

After a few minutes, Steve came out carrying eight pizza boxes piled almost up to his face. Kayla opened the door to help him, but he easily balanced the boxes with one hand while opening the other, climbing into the van and holding them on his lap. "I'm ready!"

"I love you, Steve Rogers," Kayla told him as she stared at the soldier behind all the boxes. "I love you so much, and we are going to save the universe and put our family back together. Our whole family. Not just you, me, and the kid. We'll all be together again."

Steve beamed at her prophecy, imagining all the Avengers together, living in a peaceful world. They may have become a family in wartime, but they'd thrive as a family in peace.

Once back at the compound, the afternoon sun was falling low in the sky and thunder began crackling in the distance, but Tony, Bruce, and Scott were hard at work talking about the Quantum Realm and the possibility of time travel. As Kayla parked the van near the Quinjet, she heard Tony calling loudly from Banner's control board, "About damn time Rogers, I'm starving!"

"Some people actually follow the speed limit!" Kayla screamed back, and Steve carried the mass of pizzas away from the van.

"Yeah, but Kayla isn't one of them either." He mumbled in near Tony's ear as he passed the men, then picked up pace as Kayla gawked at him, pointing her finger threateningly.

"Where's Nat?" Kayla asked, looking around as Steve tried to navigate his way toward the elevator to take the food up to the kitchen.

Bruce nodded over to the back door of the compound, leading out to the courtyard, "She got a hold of Rhodey. He'll be coming in tomorrow, but he gave her some news she doesn't really like."

"Oh no." Kayla grumbled, turning quickly toward the door as Buddy peaked his head up from his sleeping spot near Bruce and Sasa, deciding if he wanted to follow her or sleep some more. With the appearance of rain, he decided on the latter, laying his head back down against his mother's side.

As Kayla approached the door, she saw Natasha sitting in the rain on a wooden bench, wearing the same green jacket she had earlier. Kayla sighed and pushed open the door, wandering over to sit next to her friend as the rain pummeled her face. "You know, this property is massive, there are lots of places for you to mope that aren't so... soggy." Kayla joked, but Natasha didn't look up at her friend, only stared down at her hands that rested on her crossed legs. Kayla cleared her throat and tried a different approach, "It's Barton isn't it?"

Natasha turned to her right and looked at Kayla, not saying anything. Her eyes were watering, and her expression was solemn. "He's heading to Tokyo. Left another heap of bodies in Russia. Rhodey isn't sure if I should go after him."

"We don't give up on our family. You taught me that." Kayla bumped against Natasha as a flicker of a smile pulled up at the redhead's mouth. "So when do we leave?"

"We?" Natasha asked, lifting her chin questioningly, surprised that Kayla was so willing to jump into the line of fire without Steve, "You coming with?"

Kayla shrugged, looking up into the cloudy sky as the rain continued to soak her crop top since her windbreaker was hanging open, "I told you. I owe you my life. If you hadn't found me that day, I'd be dead. And not in a way that could be reverted. And you've helped me come to terms with not being able to have a family of my own. You once told me that the bonds we choose have the power to be stronger than blood. You are the sister I never had, and I'm not letting anyone hurt you, even Clint."

Natasha wrapped her right arm around Kayla and pulled her into a sideways hug, leaning her head down to rest against Kayla's. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Kayla answered, pushing aside Natasha's wet braid as she pulled away, "Now let's go inside and dry off. There's pizza. We eat now, fly to Tokyo in the morning, deal?"

Natasha bopped her head in agreement, meeting Kayla's piercing green eyes with her own. "Deal."

* * *

"So Carol is way, way offline. Can't get through to her, so we're just gonna have to work without her on this one." Natasha explained as she lifted a piece of pepperoni pizza and took a bite of it, leaning against the couch as she sat on the floor, "Rhodey will be here in the afternoon. Nebula and Rocket anticipate they'll be here around the same time. Rocket and Banner will take the Benatar to find Thor. Kayla and I will take the Quinjet to find Clint."

"What about Wakanda? Any help there?" Steve asked, walking around the table with a slice folded in his hand.

Natasha shrugged as she moved to the side, allowing Steve to sit behind her, "Okoye is running the country alongside T'Challa's mother. She feels like it's her duty to stay there. She assured me she'd keep an eye on the global activity while I was working with you all." Natasha gestured with her pizza as she flipped gestured to Scott and Tony.

"I'll continue working on the blueprints while you all are gone getting Thor and Barton. Once we have everyone here construction should move pretty fast. I've already started on designs for our uniforms based on the data Ellis collected from Lang's little... adventure." Tony chortled, shoving a piece of pizza into his mouth and putting his hands up in defense once they were empty.

Steve laid down on the couch, putting his feet over the armrest into the air as he rested his head in Kayla's lap. Tony's eyes shot open and he pointed at them, surprised by Steve's PDA in front of the team. Kayla stroked Steve's face, skillfully ignoring Tony's shock. "What will you do while we are gone?" Kayla asked Steve as she looked down, her hair falling over her shoulder to land near his head.

"Worry, mostly. There's not a whole lot I can do right now. I could always join you." Steve offered, giving his wife hopeful puppy dog eyes.

Kayla pinched his cheek gently before tossing her hair over her shoulder by throwing her head back, "I think it's best if you stay here. Help Tony if you can. We won't be gone long. We'll be back before lunch."

"You can hang out here with me, we can talk about, Avenging stuff." Scott proposed from his spot on the floor by the television. Steve didn't turn his head to look at Scott, he only stared up at Kayla pleadingly, begging her not to leave him with the over-excited Scott Lang.

"Yeah, you should hang out with Scott. Get to know each other." Kayla nodded, telling her husband what he would be doing instead of giving him an option.

"By next Wednesday we should be up and running. Two weeks from now we'll have everyone back, and then we'll have to work on repairing the world. Having the population double overnight will have catastrophic ramifications." Tony said as he pulled up a hologram of data, showing what would happen if they succeeded. "We won't have enough resources right away, however, having everyone back will kickstart labor, and hopefully the citizens of the world will be so happy to not be dust bunnies they'll put aside their differences and get right back to work."

"It was catastrophic when we lost half of all human life. You missed the first few weeks Tony, it was... haunting." Kayla said, staring off into the distance as Steve turned his head to look at Tony sitting on the ground next to Scott.

Natasha looked over her shoulder at Kayla, since she was leaning against the couch near Steve's legs, she could see her friend easily, "We'll figure it out. One day at a time. The most important thing is that we get everyone back. Whatever it takes."

"Whatever it takes." Steve agreed, closing his eyes as he rested his cheek against Kayla's stomach, feeling her breathing.

"Hey, can someone hand me a slice of cheese please, I don't want to move him," Kayla whispered loudly as she reached her arms out and made grabbing motions toward the pizza. Steve smiled, keeping his eyes closed at her joking, but hearing her nonetheless.

"Yeah, you know how crabby old men get when you wake them from their naps," Tony whispered loudly as he passed the box to Natasha who took a slice out and handed it to Kayla.

She took a huge bite of the pizza, inhaling half the slice in one take. Tony scoffed, and her green eyes darted to him, already knowing he was going to make some sort of snide comment. Once she was done chewing and swallowing, she took another bite of the pizza from the side and spoke with her mouth full.

"You got something to say, Stark?"

"I was just going to say you must get _a lot_ of practice shoving things in your mouth like that."

"There it is!" Natasha threw her hands in the air with a huff and Kayla chucked the last bit of her pizza with terrifying strength at Iron Man's head. Steve snorted quietly as she moved, but nobody noticed the slight pink that twinged his cheeks.


	99. Chapter 98

As dawn broke over the compound, Kayla pulled on her long, black trenchcoat. Her trenchcoat hit just at her thigh high boots, and black leggings kept her thighs warm. She wore a green sweater dress that barely covered her ass, but it allowed her full movement in case she would need to fight once they reached Japan. Steve got up with her and walked her to the door, pulling her by the back of the neck to his lips for a goodbye kiss. She silently looked into his eyes, a promise to come home safely with Natasha.

Once the door closed, Kayla turned and found herself face to face with the Black Widow. "Don't scare me like that!" She yelped as she grabbed her chest. "Gosh, Nat-"

"Let's get moving. We have a small window." Natasha replied, wearing her own thick tan jacket over a black turtleneck. She turned on her heels and led Kayla out to the Quinjet where the blonde herself took the controls and Natasha sat beside her. She looked to Kayla, taking in her focus as she tried to remember how to fly, "It's been a long time."

Kayla smiled as her eyes flickered up to her best friend, "It has been. But also-" Kayla hit a sequence of buttons and the plane roared to life, "It's like no time has passed at all."

"Last time I saw Clint I was trying to kick his ass." Natasha laughed, and Kayla pushed forward on the wheel, taking the jet into the air.

Kayla looked out of the corner of her eye at Nat, "Hopefully he's forgiven you for that."

Natasha nodded confidently, "He will. I just feel bad I didn't find him sooner."

"There's a lot of things we should have done differently, but we can't go back. We can only go forward, Nat." Kayla said, drawing her lips together in a grimace as she turned her head to Natasha. She hit the gas a little harder, sending the jet hurtling toward Japan.

* * *

The rain poured relentlessly as Kayla piloted the Quinjet into Tokyo. She looked around at the dark city, trying to find a place to put it down.

"Just, put it down on the street. Downtown. We won't have time to walk through Tokyo once we have Clint." Natasha ordered, staring straight ahead. Kayla nodded, taking in the shakiness of Natasha's voice. She was scared.

So was Kayla.

The blonde's hands were shaking as she landed the jet, swallowing hard as she opened the back hatch. Natasha looked down at her GPS, seeing the coordinates of the Yakuza's hideout given to her by Rhodes. Natasha opened her black umbrella and trotted out of the jet. As the rain began to roll off of her umbrella, she turned slowly to see Kayla standing just under the cover of the jet. "Keep your distance. He won't hurt me."

Kayla watched her friend wearily, taking a deep breath, "If you are wrong... I'll kill him." Kayla removed a dart gun from her jacket pocket, cocking it as she clenched it with a shaking hand.

Natasha nodded, understanding Kayla's threat, but knowing it was unnecessary. "Kay-"

"He lays a hand on you Nat, so help me, I won't hesitate." Kayla repeated, her whole body shaking as she looked out at the night sky, "I'll keep my distance. I promise."

Natasha didn't speak to Kayla again, knowing her friend wouldn't use her greatest weapon if she had another option. Kayla swore she'd never fire a bullet again.

She carried something much, much more dangerous. Five years of hard work and advice from Doctor Banner had resulted in a perfect anti-serum, potent enough to kill a man in under a minute. Lethal, but it came with an antidote that Kayla held close to her chest. A happy medium. Her knowledge of Erskine's serum became a weapon instead of a savior, her anti-serum was much more important to her than the ability to make heroes out of ordinary men. She could diminish a person's entire internal system, and then revive it, never giving them the impressive abilities of herself and her husband.

Kayla didn't just figure out how to regulate her own blood, she figured out how to kill and how to heal, and how to never give the world another super soldier or incredible hulk again.

Kayla did as she promised, and stayed far behind Natasha as she slowly followed the sound of gunfire along a dark, quiet street. Old cars laid dormant on the curb, but the digital billboards brought electricity to the rainy night. As Kayla approached the gunfire, she held the gun closer to her face, eyes darting around for anyone who might bring harm to herself or Natasha. Suddenly, the sound of breaking glass broke her focus away and two figures came flying out of the sparking exterior of the building.

Natasha ducked into an alleyway, and her disappearance caused Kayla to crouch behind a car, eyes locked onto Natasha's redheaded braid as she stood out of view of the fight. Kayla leaned her back against the car, panting as she looked over her shoulder to see the man known as Ronin drew his sword, threatening his target in a language she didn't understand. When Kayla looked back at the alley, Natasha was gone.

 _Damn it, Nat!_

Kayla whipped around, looking both ways to see Natasha nowhere to be found, so she slinked her way closer to the fight, staying low to the ground as the men continued to fight. Ronin quickly and skillfully slit the man's throat, and his victim fell to the ground, clutching his jugular as he reached out, pleading for mercy. Kayla felt her heart plummet, not ready to watch the man who used to be her friend murder someone in cold blood.

"What I want, you can't give me."

Kayla turned her head away, unable to watch Barton deliver the final blow after hearing his voice. Part of Kayla was praying it wasn't him at all, but like a distant memory, the voice under the mask taunted her. Finally, once the job was done, Kayla looked back to find him standing over the body. He cleaned his sword on his sleeve and began to slowly take off his hood.

It was then Kayla spotted her, Natasha, standing no more than twenty feet behind the man. Kayla stayed where she was, watching Nat with bated breath, waiting for one of them to speak. Clint pulled off his hood, choosing to confront his old partner first. "You shouldn't be here."

"Neither should you," Natasha answered with a shaky breath, letting the rain pummel her umbrella as she stood her ground, eyes trained on the archer ahead. Kayla pushed back her soaked blonde hair away from her face, swallowing hard as she wiped the rain away from her eyes.

Clint kept his eyes on Natasha, but didn't move any closer, "I've got a job to do."

"Is that what you're calling this? Killing all these people isn't going to bring your family back." Natasha challenged, lowering her chin defiantly as the rain soaked Clint. She paused for a moment, then slowly started to approach her friend, "We found something. A chance, maybe-"

"Don't." Clint barked, looking down as Kayla began to rise from her spot behind the car, gun ready.

"Don't what?" Natasha asked calmly, continuing to approach him.

Clint's eyes were watering as Natasha reached him, he shook his head, batting away her good intentions, "Don't give me hope."

"I wish I could have given it to you sooner." Natasha cried, reaching out and taking Clint's gloved hand in her own. He turned his hand, clasping hers a little tighter as they met eyes. "Let's go home, Clint."

"We better collect Ellis before we do. She's going to get pneumonia in this rain." Clint nodded toward Kayla without ever taking his eyes off of Natasha.

"How does he do that?" Kayla pondered to herself, moving around the car to lead Natasha and Clint toward the Quinjet. Once inside, Kayla pulled her mane of hair to the side and twisted it, causing the water to drain out of her hair. Clint dropped his bag on the floor and silently took a seat against the wall, looking down as the water dripped from his long hair.

Kayla stood in front of the man, eyeing him wearily. "You alright Barton?"

"My whole family disappeared in front of my eyes. You think I'm alright?" He sneered as he looked up at the damp blonde.

Kayla looked up to the ceiling and laughed, "You think you're the only one with problems, Hawkeye? My child got decimated from inside me and I almost died, so I get it. I'm not alright either, but we need you, Clint." She softened, swallowing her pride as she clasped his shoulder, "I'm so sorry, Clint. I'm sorry you lost your family, but I get it, I really do, and I'm asking you to help me get our kids back. Can you do that?"

Clint looked past Kayla to Natasha, who was closing the back of the jet. She nodded, fighting back tears herself. Clint looked back to Kayla and grabbed the hand on his shoulder, "I can."

"Good. Then let's go home." Kayla nodded firmly and moved to the pilot's seat, switching the plane into manual to take it to the sky.

* * *

As Kayla landed the plane on the launchpad, Clint leaned against the side of the jet, taking in the compound. "It hasn't changed a bit," Clint mumbled.

Kayla shrugged, "It's a lot emptier than you remember it. But not for long, right? I'm sure Tony's been hard at work, and Banner and Rocket are going to get Thor. They believe he's in... Norway?" Kayla questioned, looking up as she tried to remember where they'd gotten that one postcard from.

Natasha led them out of the jet and into the main sitting area of the compound where Steve was sitting on the couch reading a book. The three dogs came charging forward, and for the first time since they found him, Clint smiled. He knelt down to greet the dogs, who responded by licking his face.

"Barton!" Steve called as he looked up from his reading. He closed it and set it on the table, approaching Clint happily, but Kayla cut him off, pressing a firm hand to his chest and shaking her head.

"Give him his space. He'll come around." She warned through clenched teeth, looking over her shoulder to see Clint patting Hope on the head lovingly. Natasha knelt down beside him, stroking her dog alongside her best friend, and Kayla clicked her tongue, causing Buddy to follow them back toward the kitchen.

Steve picked up the coffee pot and poured Kayla a cup, handing it to her as she leaned against the countertop. He subtly looked over his shoulder before turning back to Kayla. "It's pretty bad, isn't it?"

"Yeah... he hasn't been coping well. Nat feels guilty for not finding him sooner, but, here we are." She looked up at Steve as she took a sip of her steaming drink.

"How have you been Cap? I'm sorry for your loss. Kayla told me on the flight back." Clint interrupted, causing Steve to whip around and face Barton. Clint was smiling up at him, his mohawk catching Steve by surprise.

Steve paled, trying to figure out how to respond, "I'm, uh, I've been... okay. I'm sorry too, Clint."

"Is that Clint Barton I hear up there?" Tony called as he entered the room with Scott and Nebula.

Clint's eyes opened wide and he opened his mouth in surprise, "Stark. Good to see you. Lang. Blue alien person?"

"This is Nebula. She saved my life. Kept me alive while we drifted through space after fighting Thanos. Neb, this is Clint."

She nodded, staring at him with her black eyes. Clint eyed her restlessly but didn't press it anymore. "Well, it's good to be back."

"I actually came up for a reason, Cap, I've got something to show you." Tony gestured toward the sitting room, and Cap pulled away from Kayla to follow him. Tony spun around and grasped Steve's hand and suddenly a white and red suit spread from his palm across his body, covering him up to the neck. He looked down at his gloved hands, seeing the heavy white plating merging into black and red accents.

Kayla practically leaped across the room to Steve, grabbing onto the white of the suit as she gawked at it, "Tony... is that nono-tech?"

"It is. I used the readings from Scott's trip to the Quantum Realm to make a protective coating for the suit, something similar to his Ant-Man suit. Then I programmed it into the nano-tech. The best part? It can change into anything you need it to be. Try it, Cap." Tony gestured for Steve, and he looked down at himself, shifting in the high tech boots.

"Umm, can it become my stealth suit?" He asked Tony, and Kayla laughed loudly, circling Steve as she ran her fingers along the suit. Steve looked down and saw he was already dressed in the dark blue of the stealth suit. "That's impressive Tony."

"I figured it could come in handy." Tony gloated, pulling up a holographic screen and tapping away, causing Steve's suit to revert back to its red and white form. Kayla pressed her hand against the A on Steve's chest, her heart swelling with pride. "Now we just need to build the tunnel, and make sure it works." Stark trailed off, flipping Steve's hand over forcibly and hitting a button, causing the suit to pull back into itself and he plucked the small device from Steve's hand before placing it in his pocket and wondering back to the lab to continue working.


	100. Chapter 99

All was quiet in the Avengers Compound that night after Clint Barton returned. Tony locked himself away in his lab, but Kayla heard him video calling Morgan and Pepper as she walked by to her bedroom.

"I love you tons." Tony cooed with a smile, leaning against his work table as he stared at the hologram of his daughter and wife.

"I love you 3,000." Morgan replied with a smile, cuddling into Pepper's side.

Pepper pat her daughter's head then turned to Tony, "Get some rest."

"I'll do my best. I love you Pep."

"I love you too Tony."

Kayla smiled to herself as she continued on her way, taking care not to let Tony see her eavesdropping. She passed Natasha's room, but she knew Clint was sleeping on her couch. Even though they had plenty of room, Nat didn't want him to be alone. The lights were on, which didn't surprise Kayla, seeing as neither Natasha nor Clint slept much. There was loud snoring coming from Scott Lang's makeshift home. Rhodey's room was quiet, and Kayla wasn't even sure if he was in there, or if he was still up in the sitting room with Nebula. Nebula didn't want to have a place to sleep in the compound, but Natasha and Steve insisted, and she'd avoid her bed as long as possible until everyone else in the compound was asleep.

When Kayla finally reached her own bedroom, she slipped in quietly and pressed it closed, not making a sound. When she looked up from the door handle, Steve was standing there, holding out a glass of white wine for her. "To the future." He murmured quietly as she took it.

"To the future." She clanked her glass against his before down the wine in one gulp. When she was done, she set her glass down, watching Steve sipping his carefully. She looked around the dark room, seeing Buddy was nowhere to be found, meaning he was most likely with Sasa and Hope. They were alone. Kayla turned her head back to Steve, biting her lip as she watched him before looking around the apartment, "You know, it is terribly hot tonight, don't you think?"

Steve's brow rose and he quickly finished his wine before setting the glass with Kayla's, "I agree. What are we going to do about that?"

Kayla opened her mouth to speak, but Steve closed the gap between them and took her breath away. She placed her hands on his chest and slowly wiggled her fingers down to the edge, tugging at his white undershirt as she whispered, "I have a few ideas."

Steve quickly grabbed her by the ass and hoisted her up and she yanked his shirt off, tossing it to the side as he carried her to the bedroom, not even bothering to close the bedroom door.

* * *

Several hours later, Kayla smoothed her hair back as she panted, pressing her face against Steve's chest as he worked to catch his breath. The super soldier was practically glistening from sweat. Kayla rested on Steve's arm, her hair sticking to his bicep as she snuggled in to fall asleep. Just as the darkness started pulling at her consciousness, the pair were startled by the sound of a fist meeting their apartment door.

Steve's first reaction was to grab for his shield that sat a few feet from the bed, but before he got the chance a large, hairy man wearing a grey hoodie stumbled into their apartment. Kayla quickly yanked the sheets over her breasts as Steve practically dove into the bed, trying to shield his wife from this late night intruder.

When the man turned toward the bedroom, his eyes lit up and he bellowed out to them, "Captain! Kayla! So good to see you! I was told you might have beer in here, and maybe some of those... what are they called, oh, pop tarts! I'm starving from the flight! It's so good to see you two, how have you been?"

"Thor?" Kayla croaked out as Steve tried to pull more of the covers over himself as the demi-god approached their bedroom.

Thor raised his hand to them, nodding understandingly, "I know, you probably don't recognize me with such a thick beard."

Kayla eyed the man's gut, seeing Thor had clearly spent the past five years in a drunken stupor based on the size of his beer belly. Her eyes shot back up to meet Thor's beaming smile. The God of Thunder was clearly too inebriated to realize they were a little... indecent.

"Thor, when I said they might have food, I thought I made it clear you should wait until the mor- Oh God!" Bruce yelped as he wandered into their apartment and saw Steve and Kayla in bed, trying not to flash their teammate. Bruce did a double take on them before forcing his face toward Thor. "Thor, can't you see they are a little... busy?"

Thor looked from Banner to the Rogers, finally seeing that they were naked, "Oh, I'm so sorry Captain, I didn't mean to interrupt! I'll catch up with you in the morning, when you two are done making love."

Kayla lifted her finger to tell Thor they weren't about to make love, but he just gestured his fingers at the two of them with a raised brow, then winked at Steve, which caused Kayla to gawk at her blushing husband. "This isn't happening." She muttered quietly as Steve turned more and more scarlet at the encounter.

Just as Thor turned to consider leaving, four massive dogs came barreling into the room to see the newcomer to the compound. With Nebula and Rocket back, Faith had taken her place with the rest of her family, adding the chaos that now inhabited Kayla and Steve's bedroom. The dogs barked loudly until Thor picked up Hope easily in one arm. "Last time I saw these hounds they were but pups! Look at them now! They are huge!" Thor exclaimed happily as Faith and Buddy jumped up onto him, trying to get him to pick them up too.

"That's how time works buddy," Bruce told Thor, trying to gently press the drunk man away from Steve and Kayla's bed, "We'll talk all about it in the morning."

Kayla's eyes were daggers as she stared down Thor and Bruce, but Thor wasn't picking up her not-so-subtle hint to leave them alone.

"What's all the commotion about? Is everyone okay?" Scott said as he tumbled into the room, pushing between Bruce and Thor to stand at the edge of the bed where Kayla was turning more and more red with frustration. When Scott saw them, his mouth opened to speak, but nothing came out.

"Get out Scott!" Kayla screeched, pointing the apartment door with the hand that wasn't holding the sheets tight to her chest. Scott began to back up, meeting Steve's eyes as he bumped into the door frame.

"I'm, uh, sorry- uh Captain America! Mrs... America!" Scott yelped, stumbling through the mass of dogs as Bruce continued to fight to gain control.

"Guys, guys- they want to sleep. We all want to sleep, let's just get out of here, go back to our rooms, and we'll all see each other in the morning, alright?" Bruce tried herding Thor out of the door, and the dogs followed where he went. Finally, once Bruce had the dogs and Thor out of the room, they heard the door close with a thud.

As quickly as the pandemonium began, it disappeared, and Kayla laid back down, letting her head slam hard against the pillow. She panted, coming down from the chaos that had just occurred because of the drunken god. Steve started to wiggle his way back down into the sheets when a loud bite was heard from the doorway.

"Everything alright in here?"

"Yeah Tony, we're fine," Steve answered cooly as he gripped the sheets a little tighter.

Tony took another bite of his apple, chewing out his words at them, "You sure? Sounds like there was a lot of commotion in here."

"Yep. Everything's fine. We just want to sleep." Kayla mumbled from her pillow as she stared at the ceiling, raising and lowering her leg impatiently as she waited to be left alone.

Tony nodded, taking in Steve's messy hair and sweaty chest, "Oh, okay... what were you guys doing in here?"

"What do you think Tony..." Kayla growled, sitting up in the bed to glare at Stark.

"Saluting the flagpole? Taking a tour of the Washingon Monument?" Tony asked, leaning against their doorframe.

"Go to bed, Tony."

"Was Cap taking the ferry to Ellis Island?"

"Get out. Now."

"Hold on, I've got so many more-"

At that point, Steve leaned over the bed and grabbed his shield, the closest thing he had to cover himself since Kayla had a death grip on their sheets. This only amused Tony more at the blonde man approached, reaching out his right hand to slam the door closed on Stark's face.

"Oh, are you ringing the Liberty Bell? Or- or dumping the tea into Boston Harbor?"

Steve shoved the door closed, quickly dropping the shield to lock the door as he held it shut with his right hand. He banged his head against the door, tired and defeated, and thoroughly embarrassed. He'd never admit it, but he was the slightest bit thankful Bucky and Sam were gone, so that they wouldn't be able to join in on harassing about this in the morning.

"So, we aren't going another round?" Kayla called from the bed, leaning her head to stare at Steve's ass as he pressed his face against the door. He lifted his head and looked over his shoulder.

"No."

Steve trudged back to the bed and laid down next to Kayla, the two of them staring at the ceiling in the darkness. It seemed like the compound had finally quieted down, until Barton's voice echoed down the hall.

"Why the hell is there a raccoon rifling through my stuff?"


	101. Chapter 100

Days passed, and the compound was buzzing with electric optimism. Steve and Thor threw their backs into the heavy lifting while Tony and Rocket spearheaded construction. This left Kayla to help Scott with the precious Pym Particles he found in the van.

"Careful, careful, if we lose those we have no hope of navigating the Quantum Realm!" Scott followed Kayla with his hands spread as she transported the two dozen red vials in a custom made carrying case. Kayla shot him a judgemental look, narrowing her eyes at the man to tell him to back off. Scott stopped in his tracks, putting up his hands defensively, "Listen, there's a lot riding on this-"

"I'm aware Scott, everything is going to be fine. You should go suit up, the tunnel is almost ready." Kayla replied, her voice lilting as she nodded toward the shiny new portal that was ready for a test run.

Scott looked at Stark's creation and gulped, then sprinted after Kayla, "So, what should I wear under the suit?" Kayla stopped and turned to the man, her expression bland.

"Your clothes Scott. Wear your clothes. You aren't going to need any quick changes for this test run." Kayla deadpanned, rolling her green eyes as she began walking again.

Kayla entered a boxy white room with several lockers on the far wall. "I've got the particles. Where you want 'em?" Kayla called as Bruce typed on a keypad to open up a rollout cooler.

"Right there, let's keep them cool until we use them. How's Lang doing?" Bruce answered, adjusting his glasses as Kayla carefully lowered the Pym Particles into the cooler and pushed the button to close it.

"He's wigging out. Understandable, considering... last time." Kayla smiled as she leaned against the wall, looking up at the massive green man beside her. "Stark's pretty confident about this right? Because our last test... didn't go well." Kayla leaned away from the wall to meet Nebula's black eyes across the room.

"Tony has assured me that his calculations are foolproof. And if I know Tony, I know he's never wrong... about science." Bruce amended with a raised finger, and Kayla shook her head objectively.

"What more can we lose?" Nebula asked ominously, and Kayla felt her skin crawl at the sound of the raspy voice.

"Famous last words." Kayla threatened darkly to Nebula, pointing at the woman with a shaking hand. "We've lost so much, but, there's always more to lose."

"You don't think we should do this?" Bruce asked as Scott appeared around the corner to enter the changing room.

Kayla looked up at the man and lowered her voice to answer Banner, "I lost my parents, my friends, my son. I can't lose my husband too." As Scott approached, Kayla greeted him with a glistening smile and bowed her head before leaving them to get him suited up for his test run. She trotted up the stairs and pulled a chair out at the desk, pulling out her phone.

"You know, you were never this mopey. I remember you breaking out of an impossible prison to chase after the man you loved. What happened between then and now?" Clint asked from his spot across the desk.

Kayla sighed as she lifted her head from her screen, "Life happened. And I found out that I actually can't have it all, despite what I had come to believe."

"Spoiled brat." Clint laughed as he pushed a bottle of beer across the table over to the blonde. "You snapped me out of my funk, and I'm here to return the favor. So- snap out of it."

"But I don't wannnaaaa." Kayla whined playfully before breaking into a fit of giggles. She exhaled and looked up as Clint stood, walking over to her to take her hand in his.

"Kay, I lost everything. And I know that if you lose hope, Cap will lose hope, and if he does, so does the rest of the team. Can you do that for me? Because this is way, way above my paygrade, but if we have a chance, we should take it right?"

Kayla gave Clint's hand a squeeze, "I suppose we should."

Clint and Kayla quickly turned to see Scott getting worked up about the Pym Particles before accidentally shrank himself. Kayla threw a weary look to Clint as the archer approached the doorframe, leaning against it to watch the scene unfolding.

"Alright, I'm not ready for this." Scott grimaced as he came back, his faceplate popping up so he could breathe.

"I'm game"

Kayla threw her head to the side to look at Clint longingly, imploring him not to go. But he ignored the blonde, his focus was now on the prospect of getting his family back. "Clint... don't."

"I'll do it."

Kayla looked down at her clasped hands, fiddling her fingers as Clint trotted down the few steps into the changing area. Scott began to stutter as he questioned Clint, but Hawkeye just looked to Bruce as he opened one of the lockers, pulling out one of Tony's GPS bands and handing it to Barton.

"I'll go let Stark know that you're almost ready then." Kayla sputtered out, rising from her chair to walk briskly toward the platform that was finally complete.

When Steve saw her, he smiled grandly, as if his entire world was now illuminated. It was a heavy weight for Kayla to bear because Clint was right about one thing: they needed Steve to lead them on this mission and he relied entirely on Kayla to give him a reason to try. Kayla's heart was heavy though, because she loved that man more than anything in the entire universe. What would getting everyone back mean if he wasn't there with her? Could she raise their son as a widow?

"You are so beautiful doll," Steve told her as she approached. Her blush crept all the way down to her grey tanktop as she looked down with a coy smile. After all these years, Steve Rogers still knew what to say to make her swoon.

She cleared her throat, her high ponytail bopping as she lifted her head swiftly, "Clint is suiting up now. We should be ready in a few minutes."

"Clint?" Steve's face fell, nerves overtaking him, "Clint doesn't know what to expect in the Quantum Realm. I thought Scott was going to-"

"He's freaking out. Rightfully so. He has a lot to lose. Just like Stark, Scott has a daughter back in San Fransisco. I think... if this works, we should let them stay behind. Somebody needs to watch the controls, it ought to be Tony. And Scott doesn't know the first thing about Infinity Stones, he'd really slow us down..." Kayla trailed off. She hooked her thumbs through the belt loops of her skinny jeans and rocked back and forth on the heels of her tennis shoes. She was trying to get Steve to approve of her plan, and she didn't hesitate to give him the sad puppy dog eyes to do so.

Steve took a deep breath and exhaled it through his mouth, nodding as he stared out the windows, "Yeah, that sounds fair. I'd rather it be you, though."

"Me?" Kayla froze, scrunching her brows at her husband, "I thought you wanted me to come along?"

"I mean, yes, but also, no. Because I want you to be safe. I'm not afraid to fail if I know you are safe either way." Steve admitted, taking a step closer and grabbing her left wrist gently before bringing her hand up to kiss the back of it, gazing at her wedding ring, "I also know you aren't going to let me go without you."

"Took you long enough to figure that out, Rogers." Kayla chuckled, allowing Steve to continue rubbing her palm with his thumb, "I know you are scared. But don't be. No matter what happens, we'll have left everything on the table. This... this is our last stand."

"We're ready when you all are!" Bruce called as Nebula led Barton, dressed in the Quantum Realm suit, toward the platform that would transport him to the past. Natasha appeared from behind Steve and Kayla, watching her best friend nervously as she held her upper arm nervously.

As Steve stared hopefully toward Clint, Kayla snatched his hand and squeezed it, causing him to turn and look at her, "This is it Steve. Everything rides on this." He nodded in return as Bruce led Clint up onto the platform and explained what he was supposed to do.

"Take something. Anything. Make it small. We just need to see if the GPS works and if we are capable of bringing anything back from the past. Don't talk to anybody, got it?" Bruce explained from his small control board at the base of the tunnel. Thor wandered up next to Steve wearing white headphones over his messy hair. The man was almost sober, and the music couldn't be doing him any favors for his hangover. As Bruce began to hit the buttons on his board, he gave Clint his countdown, "Alright Clint, we're going in three-" Clint's helmet closed. "Two." Kayla held her breath as she squeezed Steve's hand tighter. "One."

And Clint was gone.

Kayla looked to Natasha, who was visibly shaking as she held her hand against her mouth anxiously. "He's gonna be okay Nat."

"He better be, or I'm gonna kill him."

Kayla turned slowly back to Steve, whose eyes were glued to the quantum tunnel. For five years he'd imagined finding a way to reverse the devastation that Thanos caused. He saw Vision's corpse and the remains of Bucky and Thanos's decapitated head every night in his nightmares. This was it, the chance to take it all back...

And then he was back.

Natasha was the first to leap up the stairs to kneel beside Clint as he laid on the metal platform. She grabbed his face as he rose, almost in a daze. He looked around with wide, crazed eyes for a moment before looking down at Natasha and pressing a baseball mitt against her chest. "It worked... I think it worked."

He tossed the mitt to Tony, who beamed at him before turning to Steve and thrusting the mitt against his chest, "You're gonna need this Cap."

Kayla's jaw hung open as her eyes began to water. She clung to Steve's lower arm as he stared at the mitt, then turned to her in disbelief. "Kay... we're gonna bring them all back."

"We're gonna bring them all back!" Kayla screeched, jumping up and down excitedly for a moment before Steve grabbed her by the waist and spun her around in the air. As he set her down she pressed both hands against his chest, a fire in her soul as she felt hope; real, true hope for the first time in years. "We have a lot of work to do."

"We do! We... we have a lot of work to do... let's head to the conference room, we have to figure out where to get these stones." Steve announced to the group as Clint loped down the stairs into Thor's arms for a supportive hug as Scott clenched his hand on Tony's shoulder. Even Nebula spared a small smile as Rocket wiped away a small tear, knowing he'd get to see his family again.

Steve grabbed Kayla and she jumped up and wrapped her legs around him and he charged triumphantly toward the conference room to start working. As he turned the corner though, Kayla grabbed onto the doorframe of the hangar and yanked him to a stop. He jerked to a stop as she unlatched her legs and he placed his hands on his hips, expecting an explanation.

"Steve... just, give it a moment," Kayla whispered, pushing him behind a large tool case as everyone walked casually toward the meeting space, arms slung over each other's shoulders. Rhodey's distinct voice could be heard over Tony's laughing, and Natasha looked relaxed and content, even from behind. Kayla looked back to her husband and cupped his cheek in hers, "It's been five years. Five years of us- trying to move on. And here we are, we've discovered _time travel_ of all things. We are going to snap our own fingers, and _we_ are going to save the world. The right way, not the genocide kind of way." Kayla snorted with a roll of her eyes.

"You'll get to see your parents again. They'll be so happy that we live close by." Steve said thoughtfully as the corner of his mouth twitched restlessly.

Kayla threw her head back in laughter, "You're nervous, aren't you? You're gonna have to be a son-in-law. Don't worry, they'll be too distracted by their grandson to worry about you." Kayla pinched Steve's cheek. He pressed a firm kiss against her cheek before smacking her ass forcefully.

"Let's get moving. Like I said, we've got work to do."


	102. Chapter 101

Steve came trotting into the conference room to find everyone already seated except for Tony, who was bringing up holographic screens at the front of the room. Kayla slunk in after Steve took his place at the front, taking a seat behind Scott against the glass wall of the conference room.

Tony and Steve talked quietly at the front, Steve placing his hands on his hips as he stared at the projections Tony brought up on the screen, each naming one of the six Infinity Stones.

Steve nodded at Tony, seemingly happy with his visuals as he addressed the team. He stood to the side of the screens, and Kayla could visually see Steve Rogers give way to Captain America in front of her as the words: Operation Time Heist Brainstorming Session appeared on the farthest screen.

"Okay, so the how works, now we gotta figure out the when and the where." Steve began as the names of the stones melted away to show visuals of their known casings: The Tesseract, The Aether, The Orb. Kayla's eyes darted from screen to screen as she lifted her foot onto the edge of her seat, chewing on her nail as she read. Steve looked around the room with focused eyes, seeing that level of focus directed back at him, "Almost everyone in this room has had an encounter with at least one of the six Infinity Stones."

"Or substitute the word encounter for damn near been killed by one of the six Infinity Stones," Stark added as he waved his coffee cup around from the other side of the display.

"I haven't!" Scott argued from in front of Kayla and she snorted at him as he looked around the room at the other Avengers, "I don't even know what the hell you are all talking about."

Kayla's mind went back to being thrown back to the 1940s by the Time Stone and being turned into a brainless henchman to Ultron with the Mind Stone. She'd never actually seen the Space Stone, but, she'd been near it once...

She shook her head around, bringing her mind back to the topic at hand, her past actions were unimportant now. She looked up as Bruce crossed in front of her, telling them they only had enough Pym Particles for one round trip each. After realizing Clint's minuscule test took one whole vial, Kayla came to the conclusion they'd each need two to get where they were going and then get back: leaving not a single of the twenty-two remaining Particles to waste. They had to be very conscientious about where they went, and how they went about retrieving the stones.

"So, let's start with the Aether. Thor, what do you know?" Steve asked the god, nodding in his direction where he sat slouched in the corner of the room, wearing his sunglasses and holding a beer can in his hand. He didn't move at Steve's words, which caused everyone to turn to him.

Natasha clicked her pen anxiously as she turned and, being the closest, asked, "Is he asleep?"

"No, no I'm pretty sure he's dead," Rhodey replied, and Tony rolled his eyes, placing his head in his hand as Steve's chest deflated. Already off to a great start.

"Thor, wake up!" Natasha snapped in his face, but he didn't move. She looked back at Steve with a groan, "Are you serious?"

Kayla rose and crossed to the man, grabbing the beer can out of his hand and pulling it up harshly, startling him awake. "Where's my beer?"

"Aether. Go." Kayla pointed to the front of the room where Steve and Tony waited for Thor. He rose and grumbled something about Kayla being the worst as he swiped the can out of her hand and stumbled to the front of the room. "Uh, where to start," He groaned as he took off his sunglasses and used them to point at the screen showing the Reality Stone, "The Aether. Firstly, first of all, it's not a stone. Somebody called it a stone before-" Thor pointed at Steve, who narrowed his eyes at the god's accusation. "It's more of a, uh angry sludge sort of thing. So, someone's going to need to... amend that." Thor tilted his head back and put eye drops in his eyes. "Stop saying that."

Kayla leaned back in her chair, running her tongue along her teeth impatiently as she turned to Scott, who was listening intently to Thor, like a child watching their favorite television show. Kayla rolled her eyes as Thor began explaining how his grandfather hid it from the dark elves or something ridiculous which was made even worse by his ghostly sound effects that nobody reacted to.

"So Jane, oh, there she is!" Thor pointed as a photo of Jane Foster appeared on the screen, "Jane's an old flame of mine. She stuck her hand inside a rock this one time and the Aether stuck itself inside her-"

Steve tried very hard to follow Thor's story, but it didn't seem very relevant to their current mission. Kayla grunted as she pushed herself from her chair and stretched, interrupting Thor with her movement, "So what I've gathered is Thor knows the Reality Sludge very well and he'll be in charge of getting it back. You guys keep working on that, I'm going to excuse myself to run to the bathroom." Kayla informed as her right hand rested lazily on her stomach. Stark raised a brow as she swept out of the room briskly, leaving the others to plan the extraction of the Aether.

"I- need to use the restroom as well." Nebula said slowly, pushing away from the wall she'd been leaning on to follow Kayla out of the room.

"Such an Earth thing, women going to the restroom in pairs!" Thor said gleefully as he turned back to the table, "Now, where was I?"

As Nebula entered the women's restroom on the main floor of the compound, she heard Kayla vomiting from behind one of the stalls. Nebula approached awkwardly, suddenly realizing she was incapable of helping the other woman. Kayla Rogers was practically a stranger to her, but, here she was. Nebula cleared her throat, leaning against the closed stall door, "Kayla? Are you... alright?"

Suddenly the door was ripped out of her blue hand and Kayla stood on the other side, forcing a smile as she wiped the side of her mouth, "Yeah, I'm fine! Sorry about that, I must have had some bad pad-tai last night. Not surprising, their good chef was lost in the snap." Kayla rambled as she gently pushed past the woman to spit in the sink. "Just an upset stomach is all. Food poisoning, I'm sure."

"I wasn't suggesting otherwise." Nebula answered simply, watching Kayla in the mirror with her black eyes. Kayla softened under her stare, her back stiffening as she leaned down to get a drink of water and swish before spitting it back out.

"I suppose we should get back to it then." Kayla stood straight, giving Nebula one of her old famous smiles, the ones she gave to reporters to pretend she was fine. Her smile drooped just a little, and she fought to fix it before asking, "You'll, uh, keep this between us won't you? I don't want anyone to worry... a bunch of us had the pad-tai..."

"It's none of my business. I just need to use the restroom." Nebula said as she passed Kayla and closed the stall door. Kayla looked at her own reflection, feeling defeated and disappointed in herself. For a brief moment, she thought, maybe, somehow...

 _No. Don't think that way, Kayla Dawn. Don't let anything distract you from getting your son back._

The toilet flushed and Nebula left the stall, balking a bit as she saw Kayla. "You're still here."

"I, uh, yeah, I am." Kayla stuttered, not wanting to tell Nebula she'd been giving herself a pep talk in the mirror. "We should, uh, go back. To the others. Get our assignments."

"Yes." Nebula responded, and when Kayla's back was turned, she smiled, just a little. But she'd never tell the blonde that.

When they reentered the room, Thor was still at the forefront, and Rocket was standing on the table, pointing at the man and the screens determinedly, "The Thunder God and I will go back to his home planet and extract the Aether from the pretty lady. I've got the tech needed to complete the task, and he's got the layout of the land and history with the chick. Can we all agree on this?"

"It'll do." Steve mumbled as he arched his back in a stretch. "Rocket, while you've got the floor, what do you know about the Power Stone? None of us have ever had any contact with it."

"Aside from that one time Thanos used it to throw you across a forest." Kayla spat from the back of the room, settling down into her chair as Steve met her eyes. Where she expected frustration, she saw only curiosity, and even her snarky comment couldn't distract him from worrying about her. After nine years together, he knew all her tricks. She used to playfully undermine him to tease him, but she was using it to keep his attention away from her now.

"Quill said he stole the Power Stone from Morag." Rocket explained as he gestured toward the screen ahead, showing the Power Stone encased in an Orb.

"Is that a person?" Bruce asked through a mouthful of Hulka Hulka Burning Fudge ice cream that he was eating out of the gallon container.

Rocket approached the big green man, "Morags a planet. Quill was a person."

"A planet? Like, like in outer space?" Scott gawked through a mouthful of noodles.

"Isn't that the pad-tai from last night?" Nebula leaned down and whispered coldly to Kayla, who just looked up at her with panicked eyes. Nebula didn't look down as she added, "He doesn't seem to be getting sick."

Kayla raised her eyes to look up at the screen, locking in on it with laser focus. She didn't notice Rocket mocking Scott, or petting his head, or offering to take him to space. She didn't hear Bruce telling Rocket to leave the Earth-man alone, and she definitely didn't hear Rhode offering to go to space instead, excited at the prospect of going somewhere he'd never been.

All Kayla could hear was the sound of her own ears. She wasn't sick. She didn't have food poisoning. She wasn't pregnant. There was nothing wrong with her.

"Two down, four more to go. Let's take a break, come back in the morning. We've had a big day. Great work everybody." Steve adjourned their brainstorming session for the evening, and Kayla's head snapped up to meet his glance as he looked at her expectantly. Kayla jumped to her feet and waited against the wall, watching as everyone else filed out of the room one by one until it was just Steve, Tony, and Natasha who remained.

"We've already got a third of our team out on the two stones... we are gonna have to work hard to get the other four," Steve told Tony as the billionaire stared at the screens ahead.

"Tomorrow we'll work on the Space and Mind Stones. Those are the two the Avengers have had the most experience with." Natasha told the boys as she stood between them, twirling her pen in her hand.

Kayla pressed her hand against Steve's back as she wiggled her way in between him and Natasha, leaning against Natasha fondly. The redhead put her hand around Kayla's waist and held her steady, turning to face to rest her chin on Kayla's shoulder. Kayla breathed deeply, enjoying this moment of peace, of hope. They had the chance to right Thanos's wrong, but that didn't mean Kayla wasn't nervous. Kayla was terrified, and it practically made her sick.

"Tomorrow we'll pick up where we left off. Get some rest, you guys." Steve told Tony and Natasha, pulling Kayla gently to detach her from Natasha. Kayla allowed herself to be led out of the conference room and into the larger area of the Avengers Compound on their way to their apartment. She occasionally stole a quick glimpse at Steve, but he seemed lost in thought. After a while, he spoke quietly as they reached the living quarters, "You okay? You seemed very distracted during the meeting. It wasn't even very long."

Kayla smacked him playfully across his broad chest at his insinuation that she didn't have the attention span for the meeting, but her laughter didn't deter him from wondering what was on her mind. Before he could prod her again though, she admitted her fears, "I'm terrified of time traveling. Do you have any idea how ridiculous this all sounds?"

"When I met you, you were trying to recreate my super soldier serum. That seemed ridiculous." Steve countered as he stopped them outside their door.

"To you maybe, to me, it was going to change the world-" Kayla trailed off as she gestured to the sky, her eyes eventually landing back on Steve, "That's your point isn't it?"

Steve just shrugged, sucking in his breath under Kayla's scrutiny. "I'm just saying, you've done some seemingly impossible things... to further science. To protect me. It's our job, our duty, to save the world. We are the Avengers."

"Stop turning me on Steve Rogers, we have work to do!" Kayla giggled as he leaned over and unlocked the door around her, pinning her against the door as he did so. "We need to get these stones and all sorts of other impossible things-"

"That's tomorrow darling," Steve whispered as he pushed the door open and backed Kayla into the apartment, only to have Buddy come running from inside and jump up against Kayla, pushing her closer to his chest. As she rested against him, he looked down at her with all the love his heart could muster. "I love you Kay."

"I love you too Steve." Kayla whimpered back, grabbing onto his sharp jaw with each hand. "Maybe we can do some brainstorming of our own, from the comfort of our bed?"

"Isn't that taking work home with me?" Steve asked slyly as he led her into the bedroom, followed by the hyper dog.

Kayla just shrugged, "It never stopped me before."

And this time they remembered to close and lock the bedroom door.


	103. Chapter 102

"So the Mind and Space Stones were both with Loki during the Battle of New York. We were all there, so it's a good place to kill two birds with one stone." Natasha explained as she pointed at the screen. She had a tight black tank top on as she paced around the sitting area, holding her long braid away from her neck as she panted.

Kayla placed a mountain of pancakes on the table in front of the couch as Thor followed behind with a keg. She did a double take at the man behind her, staring at him in disbelief. Steve followed with a serving tray of bacon in one hand and a pitcher of orange juice in the other.

"Your hairs a little messed up Cap." Tony pointed out from his chair, smiling teasingly as Steve quickly combed down his blonde hair, trying not to turn red. Tony raised his coffee mug, "Don't fix it on my account, I'm glad somebody's having fun here."

"Anyway," Natasha announced loudly to the room, "Do we have any ideas for retrieving the Mind and Space Stone?"

"We passed off the scepter to the Strike Team. I can get it from them." Steve said confidently as he moved to Natasha, steering her toward the food.

"Strike Team? Are you fucking kidding me?" Kayla screeched at Steve as she plopped into her seat beside Scott, staring at Steve with wide green eyes, "You gave the Mind Stone to Brock Fucking Rumlow?"

"I'm sensing some tension here..." Scott whispered loudly to Clint, who just rolled his eyes at the newcomer.

Rhodey leaned over Clint as the archer continued eating his pancakes, "Brock Rumlow is the one who killed her. He shot a dart of anti-super soldier serum at Cap and Kayla took the bullet for him. She kinda hates him."

"Kinda is an understatement. I want to rip his intestines out and strangle him with them. He shot my best friend." Kayla fumed, shoving a piece of bacon into her mouth and chewing it aggressively as Steve made a calm down motion at the front of the room.

"I'll be dealing with Rumlow and Strike. I've got the history with them. I've got a few ideas for taking it off their hands." Steve assured the team, but Kayla continued to simmer silently with her arms crossed on the couch. "I believe after we apprehended Loki, I went to work with search and rescue, who took the Tesseract from there?"

"We did." Tony motioned to Thor and himself. "I held onto that baby until Thor took it back to Asgard."

"Alright, any ideas?" Steve prompted, leaning against the back of the couch across from Tony.

Tony thought for a moment, then shrugged, "Nope, no ideas."

"Great. Awesome." Steve answered as he pushed away, staring at the screen as he walked toward it again. "At least we have plans for half of the stones. Someone can come with me and get the Tesseract from Stark. We'll come back to that since we already know where it'll be."

"Well, last night after you two went to bed, Stark, Bruce, and I continued brainstorming and we realized that it's not just the Mind and Space stones in New York in 2012." Natasha told Steve with a coy smile. His eyes questioned her as she approached him, moving the screens around with her fingers. "Doctor Stephen Strange worked on Bleaker Street when the Children of Thanos arrived. It was a sacred sanctum. It stands to reason that the Time Stone was held there, even eleven years ago."

"So we can kill three birds with one stone." Kayla finished, pointed at Natasha as she rose. "It's perfect! The more we stay together, the safer it is. This... this is good."

"That just leaves the Soul Stone..." Nebula mumbled quietly, avoiding eye contact with the team.

Natasha plopped down into Kayla's spot on the couch and got comfortable as she took notes, and Kayla pulled out her phone, checking the time. "So Thor, Rocket, Nebula, and Rhodey already have assignments. Steve said he could get the scepter. That leaves the rest of us for the other three..."

"Yes? Is there a question there?" Natasha asked, looking up from her notepad at the blonde.

"No... just, thinking out loud." Kayla said as she started to head out of the room.

"Sick again?" Natasha called, and Kayla stopped dead in her tracks, not turning around. After a beat, she looked over her shoulder, "No. Still hungry."

Steve flickered his eyes from his teammate to his wife but decided not to press it more, choosing instead to address the rising temperature of the compound seeing as the dogs were panting loudly under the glass table. "Room's getting a little stuffy don't you think?"

"It's because the quantum time tunnel blew out the air conditioning," Clint mumbled quietly, looking up to meet Steve's eyes.

"Oh, so that's why it was so hot last night? I thought it was just radiating from the Rogers residence." Tony chided, giving Steve a sideways smile that was answered by a deadly scowl from Cap as he moved around to stand behind the couch again.

"Thanos found the Soul Stone on Vorimir." Nebula explained suddenly, catching everyone's attention.

Natasha wrote down the information on her notepad, not even looking up as she asked, "What is Vorimir?"

"A dominion of death, in the center of celestial existence. It's where- Thanos murdered my sister."

At Nebula's somber words, Natasha looked up questioningly from her spot where she was nestled. Scott and Clint looked around at the others as Steve's face fell to the floor, Natasha going back to her writing. Bruce sat next to Scott, looking at his teammates thoughtfully as he held his glasses in his hand.

"Not it," Scott muttered quietly, but nobody even looked his direction at the words. He said what everyone was thinking.

Almost everyone.

"Somebody's got to go. I'll do it." Kayla raised her hand from the doorway that she reappeared in, and Steve spun around to face her.

"No." He spat quickly, and everyone looked at him expectantly. "I mean, we're going to talk about this."

"This is the last stone, we'll talk about it now," Kayla replied, moving further into the room until she stood in front of her husband.

Steve narrowed his eyes at Kayla, then turned to the others in the room, "Alright, we have Tony, Scott, Nat, Barton, Banner, and Kayla. Who's going where?"

Natasha and Clint shared a knowing glance, and she lifted her head to look up and over her shoulder at Steve, "Clint and I will go to Vorimir."

"No. I just called it, I'm coming too. You two shouldn't go into space by yourselves." Kayla panted, looking between Natasha and Steve desperately as she moved to stand between them.

Natasha smiled supportively, reaching back to pat Kayla's hand, "No offense Kay, but I think Clint and I got this. We're a great team."

"But, but you should have someone...more "Super-Human" with you. Like Bruce, or Ant-Man, or, or me." She finally settled, kneeling next to Nat so she was eye to eye with Natasha.

"Naw, we've got this. There are three stones in New York, you guys will need all the help you can get." Clint assured the blonde, patting her on the shoulder as she turned to look at him with desperate eyes. "Seriously, Kayla, we'll be fine."

Kayla rose, looking between the archer and the assassin before sighing defeatedly, "Fine. Have it your way... but I'm tons of fun."

"Oh, we know. But Steve would miss you." Natasha pat Kayla's forearm with a knowing grin, causing the blonde to roll her eyes. Kayla backed away from the table, leaning against the large glass wall as she looked at the screens ahead of them.

"I'll go to the sanctum and retrieve the Time Stone. Scott, do you and Tony think you can get the Space Stone?" Bruce asked the man next to him.

Scott looked up at Banner, bopping his head affirmatively before vocalizing his thoughts, "Yeah, yeah I can go to New York with Iron Man and Captain America."

Kayla looked over her shoulder, glaring at the group, "And, as usual, nothing for me to do."

"Well, there's one very important detail about this plan: in order for me to get the scepter, I'll need to be disguised as Captain America. Which creates two identical Captain Americas in one place. That- is where you come in." Steve explained, pointing at Kayla as he twirled around to face her.

Kayla raised a brow, interested in what he was saying, "You want me to distract... you?"

"You are very good at it." Steve winked and Kayla rolled her eyes, trying to hide her smile. She was meant for more than this, but, whatever got her out of the compound...

"So that's everybody then? We all have our assignments?" Natasha asked, finishing her notes with a flourish.

Tony updated the screens at the head of the room to display where each of the three teams were heading. Bruce, Steve, Tony, Scott, and Kayla would head to 2012 New York while Thor and Rocket would visit Asgard in 2013. The two teams heading to Morag and Vorimir would show up in 2014 before Rocket's friend Peter Quill stole the Power Stone.

"Alright, we have a plan. Six stones. Three teams. One shot." Steve said as he stood at the forefront of the group, double-checking the details of their mission.

Tony clapped his hands together, signifying the meeting had reached its end, "If you all don't mind, I think I'll head home for the evening. Spend the night with the wife and kid. Refresh before tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow morning, seven o'clock. Be here by six to suit up. See you all then." Steve informed the group before everyone left the room, going their separate ways until morning.

"Speaking of refreshing, do you think we should take the dogs back to Brooklyn? I'm not sure if we want four hundred pound dogs running rampant while we are traversing time. They could chew through the wires..." Kayla trailed off in a sing-song voice, not so subtly telling Steve she wanted to go home for the evening.

Steve stretched out his arms, pulling cruelly against the fabric of his knit grey shirt. "Yeah, I guess we could do that. It's a long drive though. With so many dogs."

"You guys think we should leave the dogs here or get a sitter?" Kayla called over her shoulder causing Bruce and Natasha to look up curiously.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt. You have someone who can take all of them?" Bruce asked earnestly, patting Sasa on the head as she sat obediently at his leg.

"Yeah, Abigail will take them. She loves dogs."

* * *

"Why the hell do you have so many dogs?" Kayla and Steve's neighbor asked when she opened the door and found the Rogers with three more Rhodesians than they usually had.

"Well, you know Buddy of course. These are his sisters, Hope and Faith. And his mom Sasa." Kayla explained casually, pointing to each dog as she introduced them.

Abigail nodded, eyeing the massive creatures wearily, "Alright, why are there so many of them at my door?"

"Because we need you to watch them while we help the Avengers save the world and bring back everyone who was lost in the snap." Kayla explained quickly as Steve opened his mouth to say "We're going out of town."

Abigail threw her head back and laughed, sending her brown bob over her shoulders, "The Avengers? You're kidding... you're kidding me... right?" Abigail's breathing steadied as she took the leash from Steve's hand. She gave him a good once over and nodded a little, "Wait-"

"We've lived across from you for how many years, and you've never thought we looked familiar?" Kayla questioned as she passed the tall brunette the other two leashes.

"I mean, yes, but, you two are so lame. I convinced myself you couldn't be who I suspected. I took the last name as a coincidence." Abigail defended as Hope and Faith started play fighting behind her. She threw the dogs an annoyed glance, then looked back to Steve and Kayla, "Good luck with- whatever you're working on."

"If we succeed, we'll have eight dogs!" Kayla chirped and turned swiftly to unlock their front door, leaving Abigail in the hallway alone with her husband. The brunette looked terrified at the thought of eight hundred pounds of dogs to sit for, but Steve smiled sweetly at her and pulled out his wallet, handing her five hundred dollars for her trouble.

She eyed the money, impressed, then looked back up at Steve, giving him a wink, "Who'd have thought Kayla Ellis would marry Captain America?"

After she closed the door, Steve pushed open the old door to his Brooklyn apartment and found Kayla flipping through the channels on their small television set. He plopped down on the couch next to her and put his arm around her shoulder, enjoying the peace and quiet of not having the dog around for once. After a few minutes of rejecting everything, Kayla turned off the tv and they sat in silence for a moment.

"We only have a few hours before we have to leave. We should get some sleep." Steve murmured in Kayla's ear. He stood and Kayla scowled, missing him next to her. He reached down and motioned for her to give him her hand. She took it and let him pull her to her feet and lead her to their bedroom that had laid dormant for days since they'd been living in the compound.

"You think we'll ever come back here?" Kayla asked softly as she snuggled her face into a pillow. "When all is said and done and everyone is back?"

"Maybe. I mean, I don't want to raise a child at the Avengers Compound." Steve admitted, leaning in to press his forehead against Kayla's fondly. "I'll give you what Tony gave Pepper. A quiet home by the lake. Plenty of room for the dogs. No more fighting. No more missions. Just us."

"I think I'd like that." Kayla pressed a kiss to Steve's lips. "Now get some sleep Cap. It'll be an early morning."

"You actually want to sleep?" Steve laughed and Kayla swatted him, never even opening her eyes.

"Mmhhhm. I'm tired. Now sleep. I love you."

"I love you too Kay." Steve answered, but his wife was already sound asleep.


	104. Chapter 103

It was still dark out when Steve drove his Harley up to the Avengers base that fateful Wednesday morning. Kayla pressed her cheek to Steve's tan jacket, clenching him tightly as her hair blew wildly behind her on the drive upstate. She could feel her legs quivering with nerves and anticipation, knowing that her little family was about to embark on the greatest mission of their lives.

When Steve stopped by the bike, Kayla didn't loosen her grip, and he wondered for a moment if she'd fallen asleep on the ride. He shifted a little, but her grip only tightened, informing him that she was simply choosing not to let go. "Kay."

"Just another moment please." She whispered into his jacket. She dug her fingers into his stomach as she breathed in the scent of his cologne.

When Steve chuckled at her request, she felt it rumble through his chest into her soul, "This isn't goodbye Kayla. We are going to the same place, together."

"It's not that. This could be the last moment just the two of us."

Steve twitched a little at the thought, and he slowly pried her small hands off of his torso. Once she was detached, he dismounted his motorcycle and turned to face the blonde, who sat expectantly on the seat for him to come back for her. He kissed the top of her head and ran his fingers through her hair as she inhaled nervously. "You're gonna be a great mom Kay." Steve murmured into her ear as she pressed her cheek against his. "Don't worry about him. He'll love you. He'll love us. We just have to get them all back."

"You always know what to say. It drives me crazy how supportive you are. Be less perfect." Kayla mumbled as she drove her face into his chest.

Steve pat her thick hair lovingly, beaming down at his wife, "I'm sorry, I can't. It's in my blood. But it's time to go Kay."

Kayla looked up and he caught her chin in his hand, holding it up as her eyes met his, "Okay."

"Okay."

Kayla slid off the Harley and followed Steve into the compound, and much to their surprise, it was alive and buzzing with activity. Natasha was already dressed in her new Black Widow suit that Stark designed for her with her hair pulled into a tight braid on her left side. She stormed around the main level of the compound, checking the power levels, "Hey guys, get ready to suit up, we'll be traveling in forty minutes." She handed a box of comms to the pair as she listened intently to someone talking in her ear, "On it. Sorry, I've got to go, Rocket needs to explain how the spaceship works. Clint and I will be flying from Morag to Vorimir with it."

"You're going to fly through space? Alone? Just the two of you?" Kayla yelped, easily keeping pace with Nat as she continued her brisk walk through the lobby of the compound.

"We've been over this Kay, you go with Steve, they need you in New York. It's your element. We need you to do this. Nobody is a better distraction than you." Natasha winked, then turned and walked out the back door to where the Benetar sat with Clint and Rocket standing on the gangplank.

"I resent that!" Kayla called playfully as Natasha walked away. Kayla turned on her heels and trotted toward the changing area where all their suits were stored. When she arrived, Stark was there helping everyone suit up. When he saw her, he motioned over to Kayla and she cautiously approached the man.

"Mrs. Rogers, we're going to need you in something a little, more dramatic than your usual suit. Cap will be in his original Avengers suit, Lang has his Ant-Man suit, and I'm going undercover, but you: we need classic Kayla Ellis. What do you have in mind?" Tony spun Kayla around, taking in her yoga pants and jogging shirt.

Kayla settled in front of the mirror to stare at her own reflection. She placed her hands on her hips and turned, taking in her backside as she flipped her hair. "May in New York City? I'll need some dark wash skinny jeans, no rips. Get me a red top, something tight around the chest. Steve always got really nervous around cleavage." Kayla pointed at her husband, who opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off with more demands, "A black leather jacket... and stilettos. Nothing says breaking into Avengers Tower like five-inch heels." Kayla winked at Stark and he grinned beneath his dark sunglasses.

"Friday, get the lady what she needs."

"You got it, boss." The woman's voice echoed in the changing area as a locker opened to reveal Kayla's requested clothing. Kayla picked up the pair of black stilettos, and a smile crept onto her face as she realized they were already hers.

Steve leaned over Kayla's shoulder, staring at the pile of clothes in her hand. "Better suit up. Thirty minutes."

"Speaking of suiting up Cap." Tony typed away on a screen and a large cabinet opened up to display his old Captain America uniform. "I've missed this suit," Tony said as he patted Steve on the shoulder. The soldier groaned at the bright fabric but stepped up to grab it anyway.

Banner walked by, wearing a black tank top and dark stretchy pants that Tony designed for transforming into the Hulk, even though they were unnecessary now. "Scott's ready, Rocket's got the Benetar shrunk down for Barton and Nat. Once you guys are changed, we'll be ready to go," Bruce explained as he hung back by the doorframe.

Steve nodded, looking up to face Kayla, "We'll be ready. Maybe give us a little privacy?"

"You got it, Cap." Bruce said as he wandered off, followed by Nebula and Rhodey. Tony, however, stayed where he was next to Kayla, and Steve shot him a look.

Stark looked surprised, pointing to himself, "Oh, me too? Why? Nothing I haven't already seen before?"

"Stark," Kayla warned, and Steve just sighed, knowing the man was just trying to get under his skin.

"Twenty-eight minutes. Don't be late." Tony warned as he pointed between Kayla and Steve, and Steve just shook his head and placed his hands on his hips while the billionaire walked away, smirking.

By the time Steve turned back to Kayla, she was already stripped of her workout clothes and pulling on the skinny jeans over her toned thighs. She pulled the cherry red halter top over her torso and shifted her chest so her cleavage was clearly visible. Steve blushed a little as she sat on the floor, working on pulling the black stilettos over her ankle. She happened to glance up and catch the change in color, "What?"

"It's just... it's been a while. Since you looked like this."

Kayla looked up at Steve with a soft expression, not needing to speak. There was something nostalgic of going back to the past, when things were exciting and new. And soon they would be again. Once she finished strapping the shoes, Steve reached down and offered his hand. She took it and he pulled her up quickly. As Kayla looked at herself in the mirror, Steve began to undress, preparing to suit up. "I'll meet you at the platform. Ten minutes." Kayla reminded Steve, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

The familiar click of stilettos pulled on Steve's heartstrings, but it also warned the other Avengers of her presence. Rocket gave a long whistle at the tall woman, and Rhodey shot him a dirty look as the raccoon looked Kayla up and down hungrily. Thor nodded casually, and Kayla stopped next to the god, unsure about his choice of outfit.

"You're wearing that to Asgard?" She asked of the grey hoodie and red sweater on top of it. Thor looked like a homeless Santa Clause, and he needed to distract the woman he used to love.

He shrugged and grinned at Kayla as she pulled her long blonde hair up into a high ponytail, "Comfort for traveling."

Kayla rolled her eyes as she walked away from Thor, sidling up to Tony Stark at the control board off to the side of the quantum tunnel platform. Stark was typing away, triple checking his calculations before allowing any member of his team to go on the mission. He didn't look up at Kayla as she stood to his left, but he knew she was there.

Kayla leaned over, trying to see his face as he focused on his work, "You know, you did what we asked of you. You figured it out- how to navigate the Quantum Realm. How to travel through time. We never asked you to come with us."

"You don't want me to come?" Tony asked, still not looking up from his typing and button pushing.

"It's not that... but, Morgan. Pepper. You have a family Tony, what if something goes wrong. You've done everything we needed you to, you can go home. Let us do this part." Kayla pleaded, feeling guilty for putting the little girl's father in danger.

At this, Tony finally looked up to face the blonde, "I could say the same for you. We don't know how quantum travel will affect pregnancy."

Kayla scoffed, laughing as she shook her hand at Tony's words, "What? Pregnant? Me? Trust me, we've tried, I- I can't get pregnant. Not again."

"You keep telling yourself that." Tony quipped as he put both hands up defensively, "All I'm saying is Pepper always carried herself like that, with her hands on her stomach, when she was pregnant. Kind of a- instinctual thing."

"I'm not pregnant Tony. And I'm going. I'm pulling my weight." Kayla threatened, brows furrowing as she began to lose patience.

"And so am I. Because I lost people too. And we're gonna bring them back." Tony answered, crossing his arms as he smiled knowingly at the blonde, "You need me."

"Give me a bracelet," Kayla demanded, shoving her palm in Stark's face. He smirked as he gave her the GPS and called after her as she walked away.

"Don't break a leg in those shoes!"

Kayla found her spot at the base of the platform, shaking out her arms to rid herself of the nerves building inside her. She slapped the time-space GPS onto her wrist and the red and white suit enveloped her quickly. She looked down at the slip-resistant boots that now covered her heels, and adjusted the thick red gloves that covered her hands.

"Alright, circle up. It's go time." Steve called from the foot of the stairs leading up to the platform. Everyone filed around the edge of the portal in a circle as the sun began to rise on the horizon. Steve addressed them, "Five years ago we lost. All of us. We lost friends. We lost family." He looked Kayla in the eyes as she stood between him and Natasha. "We lost a part of ourselves. Today, we have the chance to take it all back. You know your teams, you know your missions. Get the stones, get them back. One round trip each. No mistakes. No do-overs. Be careful, look out for each other. This is the fight of our lives, and we are going to win. Whatever it takes... Good luck." He looked to Tony, making eye contact with Iron Man as he delivered the end of his speech. He nodded to the group collectively before turning to face his wife fully.

"He's pretty good at that." He heard Rocket say, and Scott agreed.

"That was a pretty rousing speech there Captain." Kayla cooed as she pressed her thick glove against the A on his chest, "I might have actually started to believe we can succeed."

"We will. Just like I promised." Steve leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss as Clint made vomiting sounds behind her.

"Get a room!" He called as Natasha laughed.

Kayla grabbed her hand and squeezed it supportively as Natasha beamed over at her and Steve, "See you in a minute."

Steve and Kayla smiled back in unison as the machine began to whirr to life, and the mechanism above their heads began to shift. Kayla's headpiece popped up into place and she met Natasha's excited green eyes gleaming back at her. Steve looked up at the ceiling, praying that this would work as planned.

And a moment later, the portal sucked them into the Quantum Realm and sent them hurtling into the past.


	105. Chapter 104

Kayla felt dizzy as her feet landed on the ground in battle-torn New York City. She stumbled forward a bit and put her hands out to balance herself as her red and white suit vanished to reveal her skinny jeans and stilettos. She looked up and saw Chitauri everywhere, crying out angrily as they battled the Avengers.

Kayla forced herself upright, holding her arms out to her sides to bring back her equilibrium as she looked at the sky, seeing a massive portal skewering the skyline above Avengers Tower. "This is... terrible." She mumbled as she heard an explosion from down the road.

Steve surged forward as soon as his boots hit the ground, shedding his quantum suit to reveal his old Captain America uniform, "Alright, we all have our assignments. Two stones uptown, one stone down. Stay low, keep an eye on the clock."

Suddenly the five were distracted by the crunching of a car at the edge of the alleyway where they hid. The Hulk came bounding in, destroying the car beneath his feet before chucking a wheel at a Chitauri. As everyone looked to Bruce, he shied away from their gaze, embarrassed by his former behavior. "Maybe smash a few things along the way," Steve suggested to the large green man, as Kayla stifled a laugh.

"I think it's gratuitous, but whatever," Bruce muttered as he ripped away his tanktop, wandering over to the crushed taxi and growling unconvincingly around with his hands out like claws. He casually tossed aside a motorcycle as he slowly continued his journey to the Sanctum Sanctorum downtown.

"Alright Bug-Man, let's take to the skies. We'll meet in the alley to the north side of the tower once it's done. Good luck Cap. Rogers." Tony gave Kayla a quick nod before deploying the Iron Man suit as Scott shrunk down and hopped onto his shoulder.

Steve and Kayla stared at the sky as he flew up to the Chrysler Building and hung on to the spire. Clinging to the metal structure, Tony watched himself fly a nuclear warhead through the wormhole into outer space, the moment that would start a spiral eventually leading to Thanos.

"I remember that moment," Kayla said to herself, catching Steve's attention before Iron Man fell from the sky. "I remember thinking 'This is it' and that I was going to die. We were all going to die."

"You were here?" Steve's jaw fell open, watching Kayla carefully as she whipped her head in his direction, "I didn't realize you were in New York..."

"Really?" Kayla asked honestly, looking quickly back in time to see the Hulk catch Iron Man midair. "I could have sworn I told you."

"What were you doing here?"

Kayla shook her head, bringing herself back to the present, "Don't worry about it. I won't be a problem. I _promise_."

"Kay." Steve pushed, but she just motioned with her head as she carefully stepped over the rubble.

"We better get moving. No time to waste." Kayla pressed, reaching back and taking Steve's hand and allowing him to help her through the debris toward the building formerly known as Stark Tower.

Once they reached the backdoor, Kayla and Steve worked together to snap the door off its hinges and sneak in. Kayla looked around, then motioned for Steve to follow her toward the elevator. "Better hustle up Cap," Tony said through the comms, "Things are about wrapped up here."

"Got it, I'm approaching the elevator now," Steve answered, then pecked Kayla on the lips. "You know where to go?"

"I'll cut him off in the hallway leaving the 79th floor on his way down to coordinate Search and Rescue. I'll keep him occupied until we know you have the scepter secured from Strike." Kayla replayed back at him, tilting her head to let her hair drip down her shoulder, "Trust me, darling, I can keep Steve Rogers occupied for ten minutes."

"I know you can honey. Just... don't- traumatize me." Steve chuckled as he let go of her hand and got into the elevator. "See you soon."

"See you sooner." Kayla winked as the doors closed, and she turned to head over to her own end of the tower to get to the seventy-ninth floor.

As Kayla and Steve rode in opposite elevators, they heard Tony muttering into his comm, "Ugh, Mister Rogers, I almost forgot. That suit did nothing for your ass."

Steve groaned, hanging his head as he rose higher into the tower, "No one asked you to look, Tony."

"I think you look great Cap, as far as I'm concerned, that's America's ass." Scott's voice cut through the comm. Kayla gasped silently at his words as the elevator reached its destination, letting her out into the hallway.

"Could you boys stop ogling my husband, he's a taken man you know." She hissed, ducking into a restroom to check her red lipstick until her boy arrived.

"He's not married yet." Tony said, then added, "Strike teams here."

Kayla's blood ran cold, and she froze, staring at her own reflection in the mirror ahead.

 _Rumlow._

Just knowing she was in the same building as that son-of-bitch got Kayla's blood boiling. She wanted nothing more than to rip him limb from limb and stab him through the heart before throwing his sorry body out of the elevator. But that's why Steve was dealing with the Strike team, and Kayla was dealing with former Steve.

Kayla snapped out of her daze long enough to catch Tony explaining that Steve was on the move. Kayla fluffed her hair so it sat a little higher on her head and wiped excess eyeliner off her bottom lid before counting to ten and stumbling out of the restroom, right into Captain America's arms.

"Oh, I'm... I'm so sorry- You're- you're Captain America." Kayla tumbled out, quickly pulling her hands off of where they landed on his chest.

Captain America stuttered a little at the beautiful girl, trying to regain his composure, "Yes, ma'am. What... are you doing here?"

"Well," Kayla began, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she looked down bashfully, "I was in New York, and, since my father isn't here, I thought I'd thank you in person."

"Your father?" Steve questioned, and Kayla looked up to meet his blue eyes, which were hidden behind a fresh cowl after the battle. She remembered those eyes. They were scared, and lonely, and confused. She wanted to hold him, protect him, and tell him everything was going to be okay. She was going to make everything okay...

"The President." Kayla coughed out, pressing a hand to her chest as she spat out the words, "Mathew Ellis... Kayla Ellis. At your service." She shoved her right hand toward Steve and he looked down at his cautiously for a moment, not taking it. Kayla took a small step forward, tilting her head to get a better look at him, "Take it. It won't bite."

Before he took her hand, Steve reached up and yanked off his cowl with his left hand, staring at it for a moment before grabbing Kayla's hand and shaking it gently. "Steve Rogers. Nice to meet you, Miss Ellis."

Kayla's heart was aflutter as he called her "Miss Ellis". She was twenty-four again, and everything was shiny and new again, and she was meeting the love of her life again. "I... I know I shouldn't be here. I just... really wanted to meet you. You- specifically. I'm somewhat of a fan." Kayla gushed, realizing he was still holding her hand in his glove. When she looked down, he realized and quickly let go of her, but she just beamed up at him, and his knees went weak.

"I mean, _you_ are kind of a big deal." Steve stammered as she took a step closer, bumping her chest into his. His eyes slipped down, getting a great view of her cleavage before shooting back up to meet her green eyes and flirtatious smirk.

"Um...It's...It's an honor to meet you, Miss Ellis."

"Please, call me Kay."

* * *

The elevator doors opened and Captain Steven Grant Rogers stood on the other side, looking at the Strike team stoically before entering the lift. Rumlow watched Cap carefully as he swung around and hit the button for the fourteenth floor, not understanding what he was doing here. This wasn't part of the plan.

"Cap," Sitwell asked slowly, "I thought you were coordinating Search and Rescue."

"Change of plans," Steve informed him, turning around to face the elevator doors as the lift began to drop.

Rumlow kept his eyes locked on Steve, not trying hard to contain his confusion. "Cap."

"Rumlow," Steve answered, sparing a cool glance at the man, but his blood ran hot. He wanted to rip the man's throat out.

 _You killed my wife._

Steve breathed deeply, regaining control of himself before he continued the mission. He saw Rollins reach for his gun and knew he'd better get this show on the road, "I just got a call from the Secretary. I'm going to be running point on the scepter."

Sitwell turned around, staring at Steve with an expression somewhere between panic and anger, "Sir? I don't understand."

"We got word there may be an attempt to steal it." Steve answered sincerely, sparing a glimpse behind him as the elevator continued to drop.

"Sorry Cap. I can't give you the scepter." Brock informed Steve casually, and Steve had a brief fantasy of shanking Rumlow with it before Sitwell spoke again, saying he would call the Secretary himself.

"That's okay. Trust me." Steve assured the bald man, giving him a firm nod as he met his eyes. He leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "Hail Hydra."

* * *

Tony stood in the lobby of Avenger's Tower, disguised as a member of the SWAT team, looking around as he waited for the perfect moment. 2012 Tony hadn't arrived with the Tesseract yet, but so far, everything was going according to plan. Suddenly, he realized Kayla was still in the lobby.

He ran up to the blonde, and grabbed her arm, berating her quietly so as not to attract any attention, "What are you doing here? Why aren't you with Steve?"

She looked at him with wide green eyes, opening her mouth to stutter as she pulled down at the hem of her red halter top. "I, uh, was looking for him?"

"He's upstairs, come here," Tony rushed her toward the private elevator doors and hit the code to get the doors to open, "Now get up there, hurry, before he gets into trouble."

"I mean... we'd hate for 'Steve' to get into trouble, now wouldn't we?" Kayla giggled, then motioned quickly to someone shoving through the crowd. "Tiffany! Come here! Quick!" The familiar brunette trotted into the elevator as Kayla hit the door closed button, sending the elevator soaring up into the tower before Tony Stark realized he'd made a grave error.

He quickly began tapping his comm, "Cap, Cap do you hear me? Come in Cap-"

Finally, Scott sent 2012 Tony into cardiac arrest, and Stark had to focus on the task at hand: getting the Tesseract.

* * *

"Kayla, we shouldn't be here." Tiffany hissed as they exited the elevator on the 10th floor. "We are already going to be so dead for stealing Travis's passkey. Again." She looked at the painting on the wall near the elevator, pausing before following Kayla down the hall. "What do you plan on doing when you find him?"

"I don't know, say hi, ask him questions, lure him into my bed." Kayla hummed, and Tiffany glared at her judgementally. Kayla saw her friend stopping in her tracks and laughed, "Kidding! I'm kidding. I have no plan, but I need to see him, Tiffany. What if it's him. Like, actually him?"

"It's not. Don't get your hopes up, nobody survives seventy years in ice and wakes up able to fight an alien invasion." Tiffany argued, trying to bring down her best friends expectations about what she'd find when she did catch up with Captain America. "You are the President's Daughter, there are easier ways to get in the same room as the... Avengers?" Tiffany asked, looking around as she heard deep roaring coming from the stairwell. "Geeze Kay, let's get out of here-"

"You can go, I'm not leaving until I find him."

"You're obsessed." Tiffany hissed but followed her best friend into the stairwell anyway.

* * *

"So, how long are you in New York for?" Steve Rogers asked Kayla upstairs where she skillfully kept the conversation running while Tony, Scott, and her husband retrieved the Space and Mind Stones.

Steve leaned his shoulder against the wall as he looked down at Kayla, who had made herself comfortable cuddled up in one of the cream chairs near the restrooms. He smiled down at her, a slight pink tinge on his cheeks as he talked to her, especially because he was starting to formulate his next question. Kayla bit the inside of her cheek as she leaned against the armrest, "The plan was to stay a few days. After all of this mess though, Dad will probably want me to come home to D.C."

Steve's face fell at her words, and he looked at his boot as he drug it across the floor, "Oh. Okay."

"Why? What were you thinking?" Kayla inquired as she leaned up to hear him better.

"I was going to ask if you'd like to get coffee. Dinner. Something." Steve stuttered, and he gave her a perfect smile despite the redness in his cheeks.

Kayla's heart tugged in different directions as she was very aware that _she_ wouldn't be around past the next ten minutes, let alone long enough to go on a date with the man in front of her, but the hope in his eyes made her contemplate sticking around for a while, just to keep that smile on his face. "Are you asking me on a date, Steve Rogers?"

"Yes." He blurted, then his hand flew to his ear, listening intently. As Kayla started to rise from her chair, Steve put his other hand toward her to keep her down, and that made her even more curious. "What do you mean Loki escaped with the Tesseract?"

"Who did what?" Kayla yelped, leaping to her feet as Steve stooped down and latched his shield back to his left arm. Kayla grabbed onto his bicep, pulling back on him with more strength than she should have. "Steve, what's happening?"

He turned to her, eyes serious. He was Captain America again. "Loki, he's the madman who brought the Chitauri here. He's escaped, and he's taken the Tesseract with him. He could still be in the building, I have to find him-"

"Wait, you can't just leave me. Please... stay. Please." Kayla begged, pulling against his arm as she sunk back into the chair. He looked at the blonde, then over his shoulder toward the hallway. "Please, Steve." Kayla whimpered, realizing if the Tesseract was gone, then their plan was failing, and she'd never get her family and friends back.

Steve reached down and offered Kayla his gloved hand, "Come with me. I'm not going anywhere without you until I know you are safe. You shouldn't be alone with Loki running loose." Kayla allowed him to pull her up and she followed him cautiously through the tower. They rounded the corner and heard heavy footsteps coming down the hall. Steve started crossing the walkway bridging the two sides of the open-air atrium of Stark Tower. Kayla stayed close behind him with bated breath, but she already had a pretty good idea of who was coming around the corner.

"Stark, what's going on down there?" Steve growled into his earpiece but he got no response. He quickly rounded the corner to the walkway and came face to face with himself. "You've got to be shitting me."

Captain America approached Steve confidently, staring him in the eye as he called the other Avengers over his comm, "I have eyes on Loki. Fourteenth floor." Kayla stared up at Cap with wide eyes, beginning to understand his thought process about the doppelganger in front of him.

"I'm not Loki," Steve warned, slowly setting down the silver case holding the scepter. "I don't want to hurt you." His eyes flickered to Kayla over his shoulder who was mouthing 'I'm Sorry' while gesturing to the younger version of her husband frantically. Steve gave her a gentle smile, "We don't want her to get hurt."

"No, we don't." Cap threatened back, putting his arm up to keep Kayla away from 'Loki'. "Get a safe distance away Kayla. I'll take care of him."

"She's coming with me," Steve said evenly, taking another step toward the pair. He wasn't about to leave his wife in the past, even if she was being protected by himself.

2012 Captain America came lunging at Steve, slamming his shield toward the older soldier, but Steve lifted his own, skidding to a stop to block the vibranium of his past shield. Kayla pushed herself backward, sitting on the glass floor as the fight continued. Past Steve swung his shield toward Steve's neck and Steve dodged it, but when he spun around the younger man kneed him in the chest, knocking him down.

"Steve!" Kayla cried out as her husband skid across the glass flooring ten feet from his past self. Cap turned around to face her and held his shield in front of Kayla to protect her from the imposter.

Past Steve looked down condescendingly at the older man, informing him, "I can do this all day."

"Yeah, I know, I know," Steve grunted as he stumbled to his feet, hurling his shield toward the other Steve as he did the same. The shields bashed into each other violently and went flying in opposite directions, hurtling down the ten stories to the floor below where a young Kayla Ellis heard the commotion coming up the stairwell.

"You hear that? They are fighting upstairs!" Kayla yelped as she continued climbing the stairs, her small friend following slowly behind.

"We- are... going- _toward_ the fighting?" Tiffany panted as she held her stomach, then looked up again to see Kayla already way ahead of her sprinting up the stairs.

With their shields ten stories below, the men went to blows in hand to hand combat as Kayla scrambled to her feet, unsure of how to help in the skirmish. Her green eyes darted from man to man as they punched each other, becoming a blur as one grabbed the other and swung him onto his back. With younger Cap taking his cowl off to talk to Kayla, they were virtually identical to her now.

As they fought, one kicked the other's chest, and the other responded the same, lashing out and kicking the scepter's case, sending it hurtling to the ground below. Kayla slid along the broken glass to see it fall and eventually land, popping open and sending the scepter flying away from its case. Leaning over the side, she wasn't paying attention as the two men continued to fight closer to closer to her, eventually bumping her off the ledge. As Kayla began to slip, she quickly grabbed onto the side of the railing, dangling precariously as the two men simultaneously realized she was about to fall.

"Kayla!" One of them yelled as the other's foot slipped on the glass and began to fall, dragging the other Steve with him.

"Steve!" Kayla screeched as she looked down, seeing them barreling into the glass landings and crashing down the stairs until they eventually landed on the floor. She saw them began to stand and looked up to realize her own grip was slipping on the broken glass. She looked down over her shoulder and tossed her head back, not excited for what was about to happen. "One of you better catch me." She moaned as she let her fingers slip, free falling a hundred feet to her death.

From the side of the building, Kayla Ellis and Tiffany Jones came bursting from the stairwell in time to see someone falling from the floor above them. Kayla looked up at the broken railing, then pointed at the blur of blue below them. "We've got to go down!" She yelled, grabbing Tiffany's arm and dragging the reluctant woman back into the stairwell.

Just before Kayla hit the ground, she felt two strong arms holding her, and she turned to see Steve had caught her and was cradling her lovingly in his arms. She sighed gratefully, leaning her head against the man's chest for a moment as she caught her breath. "I knew you'd catch me."

All of a sudden, the other Steve came flying from the left, tackling Steve as he released Kayla. She fell to the floor with a thud and clambered over to the scepter as the two men were writhing on the ground, trying to overtake each other. Finally, one of the Steves seemed to get the upper hand and began choking the life out of the other one. Kayla slid across the floor on her jeans, pressing the scepter harshly against the winning Steve's chest until he fell asleep, loosening his grip on her husband.

As Steve staggered to his feet, Kayla rocked back onto her heels, wiping the broken glass off her bloody kneecaps. Steve struggled to catch his breath as he pointed to the unconscious man next to them, "How did you know which one of us to subdue?"

Kayla looked at him knowingly, pressing her hand against his cheek, "Oh honey. It's pretty obvious. You're, uh- starting to lose your hair." She laughed as he chuckled and pressed his forehead against hers, looking at the younger version of himself out of the corner of his eye.

"That really is America's ass." He stated factually, and Kayla smacked him against the chest as the sound of clanging shoes could be heard from the stairwell. Steve grabbed her hand and began to tug her away from the body. "We've got to go."

Kayla followed Steve with the scepter until she heard the approaching footsteps of someone coming up to find Steve's unconscious body. Except, it wasn't any security.

"Kayla. Kayla, we should call for help, what are you doing?" Tiffany hissed loudly from the other side of the floor.

2023 Kayla perked up at the voice and stopped walking, looking slowly around the corner to see herself nervously approaching Steve Rogers. Behind her was her best friend since childhood. Kayla began to cry as her hand flew to her mouth at the sigh, trying to keep her sobs silent as she gasped, "Tiffany."

"Hey, hey are you okay? Wake up! Please, please don't be dead!" Kayla panicked as she flipped over Steve to get a better look at his face. When she saw him, her mouth dropped open in awe, "He's... so beautiful."

Suddenly Cap startled awake and looked up, seeing the beautiful blonde in a red shirt staring down at him. "Kayla?"

"You know me?" She asked, completely confused but not upset about the situation.

Cap tilted his head back and forth, clearly, it was hurting, "I- I'm pretty sure I do. Kayla Ellis, right? Or were you just a dream?"

"You're the dream Captain." Kayla moaned, settling onto her haunches as she gently stroked his cheek. "How about we get you cleaned up."

"Yeah, I think that would be good." Suddenly, Steve looked around panicked, "Where's the scepter. Did Loki take it? He was disguised as me."

"I- I have no idea what you are talking about. But I'd love to hear more about it. Maybe... dinner, tomorrow night?" Kayla asked with a sly smile.

"You literally just met him." Tiffany deadpanned, rolling her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips.

Kayla shrugged, never looking away from Steve, who, for once, couldn't seem to focus on his mission as he gazed up at the beauty hovering above him. "What is time anyway?" She cooed as Tiffany wandered down the path, giving the pair some privacy. Suddenly, a flash of red caught her eye, and as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared.

Tiffany wasn't as curious as her best friend, but she couldn't help but think that shirt looked familiar. And the clicking. She turned the corner where she saw the red, but there was no one there. Kayla was gone.

Kayla breathed heavily as she pattered down the stairs, still carrying the scepter. She hadn't seen Tiffany in seven years. Not since her wedding. But there she was, standing fifty feet away happy and healthy and alive. But the thoughts that came after seeing Tiffany alive were those of her dying- floating away as nothing but dust, never to be seen or heard from again.

Kayla found herself hyperventilating as she burst out the back door of the tower, looking around frantically for Steve. She'd gotten distracted and been left behind. "North side, north side..." She looked, figuring out she had to go around the corner to meet the men.

"Are you alright?" Steve appeared from behind her, pressing his hand to her back comfortingly. "I was worried about you."

"Sorry, I- I saw Tiffany, and I just... froze," Kayla explained, looking over her shoulder at Steve as she leaned into him. He wrapped his left arm around her, resting his cheek on top of her head as his shield rested against her back.

"Here, let me take that off your hands." Steve offered as he placed his right hand over hers, gently prying the scepter out of her hand. Kayla pursed her lips in confusion, realizing Steve had come from the wrong direction.

"You weren't there yet? I gave you quite a head start... Did you circle the whole perimeter?" Kayla asked, studying Steve. It was then that she realized, that wasn't her Steve. "Oh no."

"Oh yes." He melted away to become Loki, winking at the woman. "Thanks- for making this so easy." He sneered before disappearing into a whirlwind of blue smoke from the Space Stone.

Kayla stood in place with her mouth dropped open, shock and disappointment breaking her soul. "Damn it."


	106. Chapter 105

"Kayla! Kay, what's happening?" Steve came barreling around the corner, seeing his wife staring to her side in disbelief. As Steve approached, he watched her nervously, "Kay, what's wrong?"

Then he realized her hands were empty. "Where's the scepter?"

She snapped her head up, staring daggers at Steve as she studied him, "Prove to me it's really you." She snarled, even though she was pretty confident the man in front of her was her husband. She'd met enough dupes for one day.

Steve's expression fell at her words, realizing what had spooked her so much, "Loki?"

"He came up to me as you, and he disappeared with the scepter. Using the Space Stone." Kayla barked, feeling frustrated with herself, but also with Tony and Scott. If they hadn't lost the Tesseract, Loki would have never gotten the scepter. "What the hell happened with them?"

"I haven't gotten that far yet. Come here, are you okay?" Steve pressed again, throwing his arm over her shoulder and leading her toward the corner of the building.

She sighed, staring at her high heeled shoes as she kept pace with the super soldier, "I'm okay. I'm just angry at myself."

"Loki is the God of Mischief. And a master of illusions."

"Yeah, but I should have known he wasn't my husband." Kayla looked up at Steve, studying his face. It wasn't until she spent time with the 2012 version of Captain America that she realized the man she'd married was getting older. He wasn't as spry as he was at twenty-seven when she met him ten years ago. She could see a tiredness in his face that wasn't there before. He didn't fill out the bold energy of his Captain America persona as well as he once did... he'd lost his will to fight.

Steve pressed a kiss to the side of her head as they walked, turning the corner to find Tony sitting in the driver's seat of a beat-up car. He leaned out of the broken window of the driver's seat, "Hey buddy. We've got a bit of a problem."

Steve groaned, seeing Kayla was right. They didn't have the Tesseract. "Yeah, we have a bit of a problem too."

"You didn't get the scepter?" Scott's voice was laced with disbelief that Steve could fail.

"Well," Kayla drew out the "L" sound as she shrugged her shoulders innocently, "We had the Scepter."

"So where is it now?" Tony asked, looking up at Steve with judgemental eyes.

Kayla stood in front of her husband and waved her finger accusingly at Tony, "Loki came around disguised as Steve Rogers because _somebody_ lost him and then he took the scepter from me and poofed away because _somebody_ lost the Space Stone!"

"Well, what are we going to do now?" Steve asked, looking at Tony expectedly.

"You know what Steve, give me a break. I just got hit in the head with the Hulk." Tony groaned as he held his head in his hand.

Scott got out of the backseat and began to pace around the side of the car, "You said we had one shot. This was our one shot. Six stones. It was six stones or nothing. Six stones or nothing! You never wanted a time heist, you weren't on board with the time heist-"

"I dropped the ball!" Tony admitted exasperatedly to Scott, but the younger man bit back.

"You ruined the time heist! And now we've lost two of our three stones."

Steve looked around at the group, feeling defeated. "Are there any other options with the Tesseract and the scepter?"

"No, there are no other options. There are no do-overs. We aren't going anywhere else. We only have one particle left each. If we use that, we aren't going home." Scott answered, very worked up about their failure. Kayla reached out to calm him, but he threw up a finger at her to tell her not to. "This... this frustration, is warranted. We screwed up. All of us. We're out of alternatives."

"If we don't try, then no one else is going home either. We all have something at stake here." Steve argued, his optimism and hope running dry in the face of desperation. Kayla's mind wandered back upstairs. If they didn't succeed- she'd never get her best friend back. After five years of being surrounded by devastation, she'd accepted her loss. But seeing Tiffany in front of her, and knowing she could come back changed everything. They could _all_ come back.

"We need more Pym Particles then." Kayla decided, looking over to Scott with her brow raised, "I'm assuming there's some point in time and space when Hank Pym had particles. Where can we go to get them?"

Tony perked up at her words, scrambling out of the car, "No. No, she's right... and I know just the time and place. We can retake the Tesseract and get more Pym Particles." He turned to Steve, taking a few steps closer to the soldier, "A trip down memory lane. Military Installation. Garden State."

"When were they both there?" Steve asked, seeing where Tony's mind was going, even if Scott was completely in the dark.

"Who? Where?" Scott asked, not understanding what they were saying.

"Camp Lehigh. It's where Steve went to basic training." Kayla filled in, placing her hands on her hips. "This could work."

"Not to be the bearer of bad news, but we still don't have the scepter either," Scott told the two men who were bantering back and forth about going to New Jersey.

Kayla rested her chin on her fist as she thought, and suddenly, she got struck with an idea, "We aren't strong enough to get the scepter away from Loki. He's too powerful and too unpredictable. We can't steal it from the Avengers, because they'll kick out asses."

"Great. Great ideas of what not to do Mrs. America." Scott fumed as he threw his hands in the air furiously. "Are we all going to New Jersey for more Pym Particles?"

"No." Kayla interrupted, cutting Steve off. He looked at her curiously, and she turned to him and Tony, "I know somebody we could steal the stone from. We can take it the moment it's taken from the scepter."

Tony's wheels whirred quickly in his head as he shook his hands in disagreement of her plan, "That's not a somebody we want to deal with Kayla, he... he was volatile. A madman. He hated the Avengers-"

"But he trusted me." She interrupted, looking at Steve. "I was under the control of the scepter, but I remember all of it. I remember him cracking open the casing and taking out the Mind Stone. It took hours for the cellular cohesion to be complete, I could get it out before the body sets."

"You'd kill him," Steve argued, looking at Kayla with sad blue eyes.

"He dies anyway. Don't you think he'd want us to save his girl if we had the chance?" Kayla asked, grabbing Steve's hand. "Let me go. Let me get the Mind Stone. You and Stark go to wherever you're going and get the Tesseract and more particles. Come for me at the U-Gen facility in South Korea. Two days before the fall of Sokovia. I'll have the stone."

"I can't let you go alone... what if something happens to you?" Steve whimpered under his breath, letting go of her hand to grab both of her arms. "We need to stick together."

"You need to go to Lehigh. You're the only one here who's actually been there. Go with Stark. I'll be fine." Kayla assured her husband, smiling up at him confidently.

"I'll go." Scott offered, leaning against the car as he raised his hand tentatively, "I'll take care of her. I swear on my life. For you Captain America."

"Hey guys, how'd it go?" Bruce asked as he wandered into the conversation, seeing Steve holding Kayla and Tony standing awkwardly beside Steve while Scott leaned on the car. Missing were two very important items. "What happened?"

"Loki happened." Tony grumbled before gesturing to Kayla and Steve, "But, we have an idea to get them back."

"Kayla wants to go to South Korea in 2015 to get the Mind Stone from Ultron." Steve explained, and Scott's head snapped up in surprise.

"Ultron. Like, evil robot Ultron?"

"Didn't you say Loki took the scepter? So, if you go to 2015, Ultron may not have the scepter in this branch timeline." Bruce cautioned and Kayla waved her hand flippantly as she broke away from Steve's grip.

She scoffed at the doctor, rolling her eyes, "Whatever happened to 'Going to the past doesn't change your future?' or whatever you explained to all of us?"

"Listen, I understand this about as well as you do, all I know is this timeline has changed."

"Then get me back to the main timeline, not this branch reality and I'll get the Mind Stone from there." Kayla countered with conviction. "What do we have to lose? We've come this far... we can't go home empty handed." She turned to Steve, knowing when push came to shove, he'd support her.

Steve groaned, clenching his fist as he considered the variables, "So we'll go to get Pym Particles and the Tesseract and meet you two in Seoul?"

"Yes," Kayla replied quickly, looking to Bruce, then Tony. "I know the perfect moment. I was there. With Scott's help, we can get that stone. Then you'll come for us."

"And if we can't? What if we can't get to you?" Steve opposed, imagining the possibility of losing his wife forever in the Quantum Realm.

"Then you get that scepter a different way, and you get that stone home. Whatever it takes, remember?" Kayla said quietly, smoothing back her ponytail. "Don't worry about me, Steve. We'll be okay. I know we will."

Steve opened his mouth to argue, but Tony placed his hand on the soldier's shoulder. "Let her go, Steve. She's right, it's a solid option, and she's the one who knows when to get it. And I know just where to get our stone and our particles. Do you trust me?"

Steve looked Tony in the eye, completely invested in his plan, "I do."

"Cap. Captain- Steve, sorry, Rogers- look, if you do this and it doesn't work, you aren't getting back. None of us are." Scott stuttered as Steve and Tony typed in their coordinates for 1970 New Jersey.

"Bruce, you've got to get the Time Stone back to the future. It's the only stone we've got right now." Kayla told Bruce gently as Steve looked up to meet her eye while his quantum suit overtook his Captain America uniform. He smiled weakly and mouthed 'I love you' as he hit his GPS, sending him hurtling back in time. With Steve gone, Kayla turned back to Scott, "You can go home, Scott. Go home to your daughter and your stupid van. I don't need a babysitter."

"No, I told Cap I'd protect you. And I won't go back on my promise." Scott shoved his GPS forward. "Give me the date and place."

Kayla stared at the man in surprise, then turned to Bruce. "Get the Time Stone back. We'll see you soon."

"Good luck Kay. I hope this works." Bruce muttered as she gave Scott the coordinates and they hit their GPS, sending them forward three years. "For your sake."

* * *

When Kayla came to, she and Scott were on the roof of the U-Gen Facility in 2015 South Korea. Kayla turned her nano-suit into her old super suit. Scott looked at her, impressed by how official she looked. "You look like a real Avenger."

"I am a real Avenger." Kayla quipped quietly, looking toward the door leading into the U-Gen Facility. "Ultron breaks in here and mind controls Helen Cho. And me, he brings me along."

"So what's the plan for getting the stone back exactly?" Scott asked as he looked over the edge and saw a large metal robot enter the balcony as three young adults stormed through the front doors. Scott turned to look at Kayla, then double take to the three as they disappeared into the facility. "That's you?"

"Yes. It's me. And the Maximoffs."

"I remember her. Dark hair. Red jacket. Crazy awesome powers?" Scott asked excitedly.

"Yup." Kayla deadpanned, "That's Wanda. Except at this point, she's working with Ultron. Not for long though. That's where we strike. As soon as they are out of the room, Ultron will assassinate all the doctors, and we'll eliminate his sentries. I'll fight myself. You take out Ultron." Kayla explained cooly, giving the man a coy smile.

"Me?" Scott asked incredulously, pointing to himself, "You want me to destroy the evil robot king?"

"Yeah. Get real small and crawl up inside him. Kick something. Have fun with it. It'll be great." Kayla answered with a real smile.

Scott forced a smile in return as he gave Kayla a double thumbs up, but she saw through his facade and motioned toward the door. When she reached it, she turned back to Scott, eyeing him curiously. "Shrink down. Go through the lock. It'll be quieter than me breaking down the door."

"On it Mrs. America." Scott saluted and vanished as he shrunk to the size of an ant. Kayla rolled her eyes and groaned as she leaned all of her weight on one foot and popped her hip, looking at her nails as she waited. Suddenly the door swung open and Scott stood on the other side.

"Nice work Tic Tac." Kayla applauded as she passed the man, catching his attention at the nickname.

"That other guy used to call me that-"

"Sam. We were close. He talked about you sometimes." Kayla reaffirmed as she peeked around a corner and motioned for Scott to follow. When she reached the main lab, she held up her hand to stop Scott, slowly looking around the corner. "He's here." She hissed, and backed away from the opening, looking for another way in.

The medical lab was sealed tight, only two ways in or out, and the other way was being blocked by Wanda and Pietro. Kayla huffed as she knelt down, hoping it would keep them hidden a little longer. She looked to her companion as he stared back at her hopefully, waiting for some direction.

"Wanda realizes Ultron's plan soon. When she freaks out, we'll sneak in. Do you have any questions about what you need to do?"

Scott stole a peek at the giant robot through the glass windows looking into the med lab, "Nope, enter the robot. Destroy the robot."

"And he'll be distracted with me. Gives you more of a chance of going in undetected." Kayla added before realizing a terrible error. "I don't have anything to use against the other Ultrons. The little ones. You got any firepower on you?"

"I can shrink them?" Scott offered, handing Kayla two disks.

"I'll take what I can get. We shrink them first. You go for the big guy, I'll take care of her." Kayla peaked up to see herself standing deathly still, eyes glowing electric blue as she stared at the cradle creating Ultron's body. Kayla crouched back down, wiping a bead of sweat off her forehead. Scott watched her intently, trying to pick up her thought process. She turned to him abruptly, fear in her wide eyes, "I've never done this kind of thing by myself."

"You aren't by yourself. You've got me. We got this. Together." Scott stuck out his hand and Kayla shook it tentatively. "Now, let's get that stone."

A loud cry was heard from the other room, and Kayla somersaulted into the room, to get out of Ultron's line of sight as he turned his sights to the psychic was holding her head in pain. Kayla leaned against a file cabinet, being careful to stay incredibly quiet. She realized Scott was nowhere to be found and hoped he'd shrunk and was making his way toward Ultron. "On my signal- shrink the two sentries." Kayla breathed, pressing her finger to her ear.

"I copy," Scott answered, and she could hear that he was running, making his way toward his mission.

"You're a madman," Wanda told Ultron, and Kayla inhaled quickly, seeing the situation reaching its end. They'd leave soon. Once the Maximoffs were gone, she'd make her move.

"The quinjet, we have to move," Ultron warned, and Helen Cho told him it wasn't a problem before unhooking the cradle.

Ultron's blast echoed throughout the facility as he shot Helen and his sentries shot out the other medics. Wanda and Pietro disappeared from the room, and Kayla knew it was time to move. She slipped around the corner quickly, sliding in her knees as she threw out the disks Scott had given her, "Now Scott!"

The two sentries dissolved into atoms as Ultron turned on Kayla, prepared to shoot, but when he saw her, he turned quickly to the woman beside him and cackled, "There are two of you. Let me guess: you're from the future. I didn't think humanity had it in them to figure out how to traverse space and time, but here you are. Which clearly means I won," Ultron said, then paused, staring down the woman, "Or somebody worse did." Ultron waved his metal hand and the brainwashed Kayla approached the older version of herself, raising her fists in a fighting stance. Ultron turned to the older woman, red eyes glowing, "This'll be good."


	107. Chapter 106

Kayla shifted her weight, settling into her own fighting stance to match that of her younger self. If she learned anything from watching an eleven years younger Steve kick her husband's ass, she could only imagine the damage that this brainwashed version of herself could inflict. She was scared.

 _I don't know if I can do this._

"Kill her," Ultron told the other Kayla, and she smiled wickedly, causing Kayla Rogers to squirm in her boots.

"How you coming, Scott?" She mumbled through clenched teeth as the two women approached each other slowly, one more confident than the other.

There was huffing coming from the other end of the line until Scott finally wheezed, "I'm inside him. Just trying to figure out how to break him down."

"Well, I have to keep her busy until you do, so, hurry," Kayla said quickly as the other Kayla lunged forward to grab at the older woman. "Oh gosh!" Kayla yelped dodging out of the way. Kayla tripped over her own boots, falling hard on her ass before scooting away from the super soldier.

Kayla Ellis laughed at the woman, slinking toward her like a lioness ready to pounce on her prey, "How do we become so pathetic?"

Kayla forced herself to stand, facing down her opponent with defiant eyes. She was many things, but pathetic was not one of them. "You fall in love and marry Steve Rogers. A year and a half from now you'll go on the run and stop fighting and-" The younger Kayla threw a punch, but Kayla blocked it easily with her forearm and grabbed her opponent's dominant hand before sending a sucker punch into the mind-controlled blonde's nose.

"How dare you." Kayla Ellis snarled, backing away momentarily from the hit as she grabbed onto her face, finding her nose wasn't even bleeding. Kayla advanced on her younger self, but the other girl was as determined as Kayla was anxious. The girl began to whimper, feeling the pain radiating from her face. This gave Kayla a chance to finish her off, but she forgot how good of an actress she used to be.

Unsuspecting of a counter attack, Kayla took a roundhouse kick to the gut, sending her flying over the cradle and into a metal table. Kayla groaned as she pushed herself up on her hands, feeling her head begin to throb from being bashed against the cradle so violently. Her strong arms shook under her weight, and she looked up to see she had landed at the feet of the metal giant.

Ultron groaned, "This is taking too long. They'll be here soon." He revved up his hand to shoot at Kayla. She saw she was losing, and scrambled to catch her footing. She shoved herself away from Ultron, right into the line of sight of herself.

"No. _I_ can do this." The brainwashed woman snarled, running full speed at the other woman and body slamming her into a wall. Kayla struggled to regain her composure as the other woman approached, and panted as the blue-eyed monster swung her foot around to kick her again. Kayla anticipated the move and grabbed her calf, swinging her harshly against the cradle, causing it to move.

The younger woman leaned back onto her hands, pushing herself up onto her feet, then came running at Kayla, but Kayla blocked her attack with a quick punch to the sternum, throwing her off her balance. As Ultron's Kayla stumbled backward, she looked at Kayla with wild eyes, preparing to attack again, but something was off. "You are stronger than me."

"We do a lot of work with the serum. I am... improved." Kayla bragged, and when the other woman approached her again, she grabbed onto her, and slammed her hard against the wall, knocking her unconscious. She looked up just in time to see Ultron as he grabbed her neck and slammed her hard against the wall behind her, just above where the younger Kayla laid.

"You are impressive. But you are out of time. I'll move that body myself, but I suggest you help me, or I'll tear your _precious_ Captain America limb from limb. He'll be here. Any second." Ultron threatened as Kayla struggled against his metal hand.

"Sco-" She choked, but Ultron just gripped her tighter. She pulled as hard as she could against his hand, and it shifted, just a little, but not enough for her to escape. "You'll never win. Not today. And not in the end. You die. And I..."

"What?" Ultron asked, jerking his metal head back as he flung his free hand to his chest. The sound of clanging metal and popping sounds emanated from the metal man's torso. "What... is- that?" Suddenly, his body started smoking and Kayla clenched her eyes shut as Ultron exploded inches from her face, from the inside out. As the metal arm went limp, Kayla fell to the ground, spreading her legs to not stomp on her unconscious self. She leaned against the wall, trying to regain her composure as she locked her eyes shut.

When Kayla finally opened her eyes, Scott was standing in front of her, holding onto a red wire. "How's that?" He asked hopefully, holding the wire up to his face as he beamed at her. Kayla ran into Scott's arms, giving him a hug as she shook, trying to regulate her breathing.

"Great. You did great Scott. Now we have to get that stone." Kayla scrambled away from the man toward the body Ultron was creating. She tapped away on the keypad, causing the cradle to open up. Kayla stared down at the android, gulping as she realized what she was about to do. "I'm so sorry Vision." She whimpered as she reached into the cradle and grabbed onto the Mind Stone with her gloved fingers. She thanked Tony Stark for creating a suit that allowed her to touch an Infinity Stone, but, it didn't ease her worries anymore as she tried to pull. It didn't move.

"What's happening?" Scott asked quietly, and Kayla looked up at him.

"Uhhh," Kayla looked from the man to the android, "It's kinda stuck."

"Stuck?"

"Yeah. I gotta get a better grip on it." Kayla suggested and began scaling the cradle. Once on top, she placed her fingers around the stone tentatively.

She heard groaning from the side of the room, and looked up to see the younger Kayla starting to stir. "Knock her out," Kayla ordered to Scott. "Smack her head again."

"You sure?"

"Yes Scott, we've got to get the stone!" Kayla yelped, gesturing toward the purple creature she was now straddling. Scott looked at the blonde as she started to stand, wobbling a little.

"I'm- I'm sorry about this." Scott apologized before ramming Kayla back into the wall, taking extra care to make sure her head hit hard.

Kayla looked up from yanking on the stone, "Thank you!"

"Any luck?" Scott pressed, wandering over to her as she grunted, pulling with all her might.

Kayla let go and growled, her jaw tight, "Fucking vibranium." She grumbled, sighing as she looked down at the body. "I... I'm not strong enough."

"What are you doing?"

Kayla and Scott looked up together to see Wanda and Pietro standing in the doorway, watching her curiously.

Kayla began to stammer, gesturing to Vision, then to Wanda, "I'm, uh, this-this isn't what it looks like. I'm not, uh- oh, right, you aren't in love with him yet." Kayla stumbled, looking down at the body she was still straddling, "You don't even know him. Or me. You don't know me, but I know you. Wanda, you are the strongest person I know-"

Wanda met the woman's eyes, her own glowing red. "You are desperate. And you are sad. You... aren't the same woman as before."

"No. I'm not. You know that." Kayla confided, nodding at the brunette as her eyes turned back to their normal color. "I need help, Wanda. I need the stone."

"I recognize your scream. We are connected somehow. You said before you didn't know why..." Wanda approached, looking into the cradle at the peaceful face of the body inside. "Do you know now?"

"I know what happens to you. I know what happens to everyone. And if I get this stone, I can fix it. Please. Help me."

Pietro looked to his sister, then nodded his head toward the cradle and she began to swirl her red smoke around the stone, gently bringing it up through the tissue that was setting. Once it was almost out, Kayla grasped it and snapped it from its spot, and the body turned grey.

Kayla held back a sob as she leaned back on her haunches, clutching the Mind Stone to her chest. She looked up at Wanda, her eyes softening at the girl's confusion. "Thank you."

Wanda eyed her wearily as she climbed down from the cradle carefully, never letting go of the stone. Once her feet were on the ground, she flung herself at Wanda and enveloped her on a one-armed hug. "I'm so glad to see you." She cried against the girl's hair, and Wanda patted her back awkwardly. Kayla pulled away, looking at the pair hearing heavy footsteps down the hall, "I have to go. Steve's coming." She paused, looking back at the girl with eyes brimming with hope, "I love you, Wanda."

Kayla backed away and began to sprint toward the stairwell, leaving the Maximoff twins completely confused. "What about me? You don't love me?" Pietro called after the blonde, then turned to his sister as Steve Rogers entered the medical bay.

"Doctor Cho!" Steve's voice echoed through the halls, and Kayla slid to a stop, turning at the voice before realizing it wasn't her Steve.

"We have to get outside. Steve will meet us there." She informed Scott as she grabbed his hand, yanking him harshly toward the stairs. She took the stairs down to the bottom floor three at a time, and Lang struggled to keep up. Finally, Kayla burst through the door in time to see the Quinjet taking off, most likely carrying the cradle back to Stark. Kayla leaned over, resting her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath after the whole ordeal. She didn't even notice when Scott greeted someone walking their way.

"Did you get it?"

Kayla looked up at her Steve, forcing a weak smile. "Yeah. I got it." She opened her palm and revealed the Mind Stone, glowing bright yellow.

Steve watched Kayla carefully as she grasped her stomach with her other arm. She winced as her breath hitched. "Kay- Kay, you alright?" Steve practically dove to the ground to look up at her, resting on his knees. "Kayla, what's wrong?"

"She got a good kick in. Knocked the wind out of me. Don't worry, I knocked the shit out of her." Kayla laughed, but her laughter turned to coughing as Steve placed his hand on her shoulder to steady her. "I take it you got those extra Pym Particles?"

"I did. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here." Steve chuckled, still looking up at Kayla worriedly as his blue eyes darkened, "Almost got caught, but, we made it out in one piece. Tony's already on his way back with the Tesseract."

Kayla saw a flicker of emotion in Steve's features that she couldn't quite place. It laid somewhere between sadness and guilt, but it was so fleeting she didn't know how to bring it up. There was no time now. The sooner they got home, the sooner they could fix everything and bring everyone back.

"Then it's time to go." Kayla smiled as Steve stood, handing her a tube of particles.

"I for one, am so ready to go home," Scott told the pair as he suited up.

Kayla grabbed hold of Scott's shoulder, giving him a firm shake, "Thanks for saving me."

"You saved her?" Steve perked up, looking to Scott quickly. He shook his head, almost as if he was trying to push away whatever other thoughts distracted him. Once he was back in the moment, he thrust his hand toward Lang. "Scott, I can't thank you enough. I-I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to her."

"Oh it's my absolute honor Captain America," Scott answered and he caught the wink Kayla gave him when Steve wasn't looking.

Kayla's blue stealth suit melted away into her quantum suit. She grabbed Steve's hand, holding it tightly as he sent them both hurtling into the Quantum Realm to find out if they achieved their goal.

And as quickly as they disappeared, the Avengers returned back to the compound. They stood in the same circle they had before they left. Kayla sighed in relief as she felt the sunshine radiate through the massive pains of glass into the hangar. Her quantum suit melted away to reveal her back in her skinny jeans and heels, and she shifted her weight back and forth as she settled back into her reality.

She looked straight up and saw Rhodey holding the Orb in his hand, beaming around at them. "You mean to tell me this actually worked?" He grinned, holding out the Orb as Nebula looked around at them all. Tony held up a briefcase holding the Tesseract as he looked to Steve, who in turn opened his palm to reveal the Mind Stone.

It was then that Clint stepped down from the outer ring, his boots echoing with a thud. When everyone turned to him, they saw the devastation on his face.

His partner was gone.


	108. Chapter 107

"Clint, where's Nat?" Bruce asked as the fear began to grow on his face. He stood next to Steve, staring at the archer, waiting for a response. But Clint Barton just stared at the floor ahead, not answering, until he eventually looked up at the Hulk sadly, and it was then Steve realized there were tears in his eyes.

Steve's face fell as he realized that for the first time since he woke up from the ice, he was without the Black Widow. His constant partner, even before he met Kayla. His heart plummeted through his chest as he silently stared at Clint, pleading the universe to bring back his friend.

"No. No, no no. This... this isn't happening." Kayla stammered, looking to her left at the place Natasha had been standing. "She's not gone. She- she'll be here. Right? Clint, Natasha is going to be here-"

Bruce knelt down, pounding the platform angrily as Kayla looked from Clint to Steve. Steve had accepted she was gone, but Kayla couldn't. "Clint?"

"She sacrificed herself to get the stone. To bring everybody back." Clint finally said as he locked eyes with Cap. "Threw herself off of a bloody cliff to get the Soul Stone- you have to sacrifice a soul."

Kayla's jaw quivered as her whole body began to quake. Her legs felt like jello as she pressed all her weight onto her heels. The back of her neck began to burn to the point Steve could smell her hair burning on her scalp, but her eyes were focused across the room as her mind raced. She stared down Nebula, locking her own dark green eyes with the alien's black ones. "Did you know?"

Nebula looked around, seemingly confused as to what was occurring. She finally looked back to Kayla, trying to formulate her words, "I-"

"Did... you... know?" Kayla repeated, beginning to cross the platform toward Nebula. "You said Vormir was a dominion of death. You said its where Thanos murdered your sister... do you mean he _sacrificed_ your sister for the stone? Did you know all along?" Kayla used every ounce of her epic strength to keep herself calm, waiting for Nebula to explain herself. She didn't know... she couldn't have known.

"I, I didn't know-" Nebula explained, but she didn't go any further and she didn't show any remorse, and it caused Kayla's blood to boil even more. Bruce began to cross the platform toward the girl, as did Clint.

Kayla finally stood inches away from Nebula as she asked one more time, her jaw so tense it could have broken off, "Did you know we were sending one of them to die? Because if you did... I'll snap your neck right here... right now..."

"I didn't know that's how to get the Soul Stone." Nebula admitted honestly, but Kayla needed someone to blame. She lunged at the woman anyway, grabbing her neck, but Nebula grasped her arm with her metal hand and snapped it away, pushing Kayla hard against the chest to get some space. Kayla fell into Barton's arms and he held her as she squirmed, needing to fight again.

"Kayla, Kay stop, it's not going to bring her back," Clint whispered in her ear, and his voice broke at the words. All he wanted was to fight someone too. To go back and throw himself off that cliff. To throw anyone else in this room off that cliff. Anything to get Natasha Romanoff back.

Kayla began to weep openly, falling to the ground as Steve gained enough composure to attend to his wife. She wailed from her spot on the floor as Nebula watched her, feeling no remorse for this woman she didn't know.

"Kay... Kay." Steve cried against her hair as he rocked her back and forth on the ground, but her weeping did not subside. She shook her head as the tears flowed openly from her green eyes, drowning her cheeks. Clint knelt next to her, staying silent, but his eyes were filled with tears already. Steve looked up at Tony desperately, needing the man to do something, anything. But Tony didn't have any more answers than the rest of them. "Kay... I know... I know..." Steve whimpered as he buried his own face in her blonde hair, allowing her sorrow to hide his own as the pair wept for their best friend.

"We got all the stones, right? Maybe, maybe we can-" Rocket suggested, holding onto the Aether as Thor stared down at the crying Avengers, unable to form any words of support of his own.

"I think we all need some air." Tony finally suggested, looking to Bruce first to be strong and take the lead. Doctor Banner nodded sadly, lumbering toward the stairs of the platform. Tony looked down at Clint, and the archer could see Stark's own sadness reflected in his dark eyes. "Let's get cleaned up Barton. Get a change of clothes. Get some air."

Clint nodded at Tony's plan, and stood to follow Bruce away. Tony shot a look at Rhodes, Rocket, Nebula, and Scott to make themselves scarce. Rhodey motioned for them to follow him, and he led them away to the changing area. Thor continued to stare down at Kayla and Steve as they cried on the floor, not moving. Tony did the same, waiting patiently for the couple as they grieved.

Steve Rogers had known great loss throughout his life. Almost everyone he loved had died, even if it was only an apparent death like Kayla and Bucky. He knew how to mourn. And he knew how to move on. But this... this was something so much harder because she had died so all of them could have their family back. So Barton could have his wife and kids back. So Steve and Kayla could finally have their son.

"Kayla, we need to go." Steve told his girl softly, but she was incoherent. He scooped his arms under her legs and back and she fell into his chest instinctively as he stood. He smiled grimly at Tony, thanking the man without words as he carried his wife toward their room.

As he arrived at their door, he simply kicked the door and forced it open, unable to bring himself to let Kayla down to open it. He stood there in their apartment, holding Kayla as her sobs weakened into dry heaving. "I can't believe she's gone." Kayla choked out, her whole body convulsing at the words. "We shouldn't have done this. What if it doesn't work, what if it's all for nothing? What if she died... for nothing?"

Steve finally set Kayla down, and she looked up at him in a military uniform. The brown was bland and bulky and he didn't look like the Steve she knew. It caught her off guard as if she hadn't even realized he was wearing it until this moment. She felt like she was in a strange alternate reality where everything was wrong. Maybe it was a terrible dream and she'd wake up and Natasha would still be here.

Kayla just stared at Steve as he did the same, looking back at her with watery eyes. He wouldn't be able to hold it in much longer. "I owed her my life." Kayla admitted through a sob.

"She never saw it that way," Steve replied, looking down and wiping his eye before beginning to undress. "We need some air. Change, please."

Kayla yanked off her stilettos and threw them against the wall harshly, denting the plaster from the force. She stared at them as she stormed to the closet, pulling out a long sleeved black shirt that she threw over her push up bra. She pulled her thick heeled black boots over her skinny jeans angrily. It shouldn't have been Natasha. Nat wanted to see everyone alive again so badly. Now she would never get the chance.

Steve threw on his black jacket and black jeans and waited for Kayla in the kitchen. She found him with his left hand shoved in his pocket, and his right hand scrolling through photos on his phone. Kayla approached him slowly before wrapping her arms around his chest as she felt the cool leather against her cheek, "Don't do that. Don't... hope."

Steve didn't answer Kayla. He only put his phone into his pocket and pat his wife's back supportively. The two shared a knowing look, and finally detached enough to leave the apartment. As they walked through the door, Steve winced at the sight. "I'll fix that."

"It's fine. We've lost too much to worry about a broken door today." Kayla murmured as they walked away from their home out toward the lake. Steve saw Bruce standing at the edge of the dock, staring off into the trees. Clint was there as well, staring off into space quietly as he sniffled.

Steve plopped himself onto a bench near the front of the dock, clasping his hands together as he let his head fall. A lone tear escaped his eye and dripped down his cheek. Kayla sat next to him, not saying anything. Her tear stained cheeks were red, and her eyes burned from crying. Tony and Thor came down the path to join the others on the dock, giving nothing in the way of greetings as they wandered into the center.

Tony took a deep breath, looking around at the sulking Avengers. "I, uh, suppose we should start thinking about funeral arrangements... Do we know if she had any family?"

At his words Kayla squeezed her eyes shut and placed her hand over her face, trying not to let the floodgates open again. Steve answered quietly for them, "Yeah. Us."

"What?" Thor asked Stark incredulously, his eyes fuming with fire instead of sadness.

Tony was startled by his aggression and tried to backpedal, "I just asked him a question."

Kayla looked up to see the two men standing off, her own face burned into a scowl as her chest trembled. Steve looked up at them sadly, holding his hands together as Kayla rubbed his back affectionately.

"Yeah, you're acting like she's dead. Why are we acting like she's dead? We have the stones right? As long as we have the stones Cap, we can bring her back, isn't that right?" Thor gestured to Steve, who didn't have answers for the god. Natasha flung herself off of a cliff for that stone, it didn't seem very irreversible. Thor continued his rant though, dealing with his grief through anger, "So stop this shit, we are the Avengers. Get it together."

"We can't get her back. It can't be undone... it can't." Clint informed the God of Thunder sadly. If Clint had even the slightest bit of hope on Natasha's resurrection, he would have been the first to suggest it. If Clint said it couldn't be undone, then it couldn't.

Thor laughed lightly at the grieving man, showing off his superior intellect over his friends. "No offense, but you are a very Earthly being and we're talking about space magic. And- and 'can't' seems very definitive doesn't it?"

Kayla continued to aim her scowl at Thor, angry that he was trying to cheer them up. To give them hope. They had lost a member of their family and the only thing worse than losing Natasha was having some sort of false sense that she could return.

"Look, I get that this is way above my pay grade, but she still isn't here is she?" Clint asked Thor, and Steve rubbed his hand over his mouth, seeing the cracks begin to open up amongst the Avengers.

"No, that's my point!" Thor argued but Clint snapped back angrily.

"It can't be undone- or, at least that's what the red floating guy had to say. Maybe, maybe you wanna go talk to him? Go get your hammer and you fly and go talk to him!" Clint yelled at Thor, and Steve grabbed Kayla's upper arm protectively as she shook with her own anger.

"It was supposed to be me." Clint cried, "She sacrificed her life for that stone- she bet her life on it!"

"I'm gonna be sick." Kayla pushes herself away from the bench to the edge of the dock, where she sat away from everyone, dangling her feet above the water. She held her stomach tightly, holding off the urge to vomit. "I wanted to go to Vormir. I told you, I fucking _told you_ that you guys needed me. And now she's gone."

"She would have thrown herself off that cliff for you too. You know that." Clint said softly, looking over at the blonde as her hair draped around her face and onto the wooden dock. "She said she knew-"

"Knew what Clint? Tell me what she knew? The righteous all knowing Natasha who sacrificed herself for everyone. I bet she never even _considered_ what losing her would do to us all because that's who she was." Kayla mocked as tears streamed down her face. "I'm so _mad_ at her. I'm so fucking mad that she took the fall for all of us."

Without warning, Bruce lifted a long bench that sat overlooking the lake and hurled it across the water. After a moment, he turned to the group and quietly spoke "She's not coming back. We have to make it worth it."

Steve stood suddenly, and Kayla looked up at him as the weight of the wood shifted beneath his feet. "We will."

While Tony and Bruce discussed where to begin, Steve walked over to his wife and nudged her gently with his foot. "Hey, you feeling alright?"

"No. My best friend died." Kayla spat back childishly and Steve sighed, lowering himself to sit next to her as she dangled her feet over the bridge. He just looked at her for a moment, giving her time to process without pushing her. She finally lifted her chin to look at her husband, "I'm mad at her."

"I know."

"We could have found another way."

Steve gave Kayla a grave smile, bowing his head as he sucked in his breath. "Sometimes there's not another way out, Kay. She did what she had to do. Only one of them was getting the stone. At least she made that choice for herself."

Kayla nodded, trying to swallow past the lump in her throat. She looked down at the water, seeing the ripples created by the fish. Steve was right about one thing: at least she reached her fate by choice.

Steve looked out over the water as the afternoon sun beat down on the covered dock. His eyes were watery, but the tears didn't escape. "You should help Tony and Bruce with the stones."

"I don't know if I'm up for that right now," Kayla admitted as she watched a bird swoop into the water to catch a fish a ways off.

"She would want you to help them bring everyone back. We have to make her sacrifice worth it." Steve reminded Kayla, groaning as he heaved himself to his feet. "Come on, I'll go with you. They are already on their way back to the lab."

Kayla looked over her shoulder to see Steve was right, everyone else had abandoned the dock, and only they remained. A part of Kayla wanted to stay by that lake forever. Have someone come get her if it worked. She didn't want to face the reality that they could still fail.


	109. Chapter 108

When Kayla arrived at the lab, she found Bruce, Tony, and Rocket beginning to build an Infinity Gauntlet of their own. Tony was flipping through screens and designing an Iron Man glove that could hold and use the stones. He didn't notice Kayla approached as she sidled up next to him and placed her hands on her hips. It wasn't until she sniffled loudly that he caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye.

"You come to help?"

"Steve thinks I should." She grumbled, staring at the mechanical arms as they began to piece together the metal.

Tony turned slightly, meeting her eyes for a fleeting moment before going back to his calculations, "We can use all the help we can get. Head over there to Rocket, he's working on getting the stones out of their casings."

Kayla turned and walked to Rocket, her heavy heels thunking across the floor of the quiet lab. The raccoon already had the Mind, Time, and Soul stones laid out inside a glass case as he turned his attention to the other three stones. Kayla looked toward the three gems and felt a pull deep in her chest.

Suddenly, everything became focused in on those stones. Kayla didn't even realize her feet were taking her to the glass, as she had no awareness of her actions. Only the stones. When she reached the glass, she reached out her hand toward them, but her fingers pressed into the clear barrier.

"You okay there, lady?" Rocket asked quietly as he saw her staring at the stones intently from behind.

At his words, Kayla shook her head back and forth, her hair whipping around as she regained consciousness. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry."

 _It calls me..._

Rocket nodded understandingly as he crossed his arms, addressing the blonde, "I saw a girl drawn to an Infinity Stone once. She grabbed at it."

"What happened to her?" Kayla asked, looking back to the stones again for a moment.

"She blew up. Destroyed her from the inside out. No normal person can hold one of those things and survive."

Kayla gulped, forcing herself to turn away from the stones and move to stand with Rocket at a different work station. She'd held the Mind Stone in Seoul, but Stark had worked hard on creating a special coating for their suits so that they could hold the stones. Still though, it unnerved Kayla to think about.

"The Power Stone is easy. We crack open the Orb. I've seen it done." Rocket moved his paws and the mechanical arms grasped onto the sphere and broke it open, revealing a purple gem inside. "The cube will be the same. The Aether though, I don't know what we're gonna do about that. I don't know how a blob become a stone."

"Perhaps we can solidify it?" Kayla offered and Rocket stared at her skeptically.

"Obviously sweet cheeks, how are we gonna do that?" Rocket asked sarcastically. As if he hadn't already thought of that.

Kayla rubbed her eyebrows with her hand roughly, trying to think. She understood this more than time travel, but it still wasn't her realm of expertise. "Can we use it?"

"Use... the Reality Stone?" Rocket questioned, looking up at the tall woman with wide eyes.

"Yeah." Kayla answered, taking a step closer to the glass case that held the Aether in a tube. "People wield these things... can we make it do something? Can we make it change its shape?"

Rocket chuckled at Kayla, and she stared down at him with her brow piqued, "You are funny, you know that? A mere mortal who thinks she can use an Infinity Stone!"

"We could freeze it in the shape of a stone?" Kayla suggested instead and Rocket shrugged.

"That seems more doable."

Kayla began pulling up a screen, taking a scan of one of the Power Stone to get its exact shape, then having the computer make a 3D copy of the shape out of plastic. "It'll be done in a few minutes. We'll take it out of the tube and then trap it in there. It's worth a try."

"And if not you can try to wield it."

"Screw you." Kayla mocked back, pointing her middle finger at the raccoon.

"Don't you remember my story? About how Jane stuck her hand in a rock and the Aether went inside her? It almost killed her. Don't play with the Reality Stone!" Thor barked as he walked by, stuffing his face with a bag of potato chips.

"Yes, Thor," Kayla replied with a roll of her eyes before turning back to the 3D printed plastic casing that was almost finished. But something seemed to be pulling her back. Pulling her away. She couldn't focus.

Kayla blinked repeatedly, shaking her head again as her back stiffened, and she plucked the casing and placed each half into one of the small mechanical arms as Rocket put the Aether in with it. He hooked up the tube to another set of arms and closed the box before running on all fours to the other side to begin work. Kayla watched as he pulled open the tube holding the Aether, and slowly moved the stone mold around it. It almost allowed him to bind it, prepared to become a stone once more.

"How you two coming over there?" Bruce called from his spot with Tony and Kayla looked up to see him staring over at them.

Rocket continued his work as Kayla wandered away from the stones to Tony and Bruce, "We're almost done. We have to crack open the Tesseract and get the Space Stone. We're almost ready."

Tony tilted his head to the side, looking at Kayla curiously, "You okay?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Kayla answered quickly. Her eyes flittered from Tony back to the stones, and he watched her for a moment before speaking again.

"Why don't you go check on Cap-"

"No, I want to see the gauntlet." Kayla asserted, looking at the case holding the glove, "I want to see you put the stones in."

Bruce caught how twitchy she seemed and when Tony threw him a pleading glance, he took the lead, "No, really Kay, we've got this. Make sure Cap's okay."

"Tell him to suit up. We're almost ready here." Tony added, pointing to the Iron Man glove as the last piece came together.

Rocket looked up from his work to call over, "Got the last two in stone form. Let's move these puppies over there and put em together."

"You heard the Build A Bear, it's go time. Kayla, go tell the others to get ready, we're gonna need all hands on deck for this snap." Tony ordered, but Kayla's eyes were drifting back toward the stones. Tony snapped in her face and she looked back to him, "Go. Now."

"Fine. I'm going." She conceded, walking slowly as Rocket moved the cases holding the stones over to the glove's case. Kayla stopped at the edge of the lab as Tony carefully plucked the stones up one by one, picking up the Soul Stone last, before carefully placing them into the glove.

Kayla found Steve in their apartment sitting on the bed, holding a brand new Captain America uniform that Tony had made for him. He stroked the scales near the silver star absentmindedly as he stared out the window at the lake. He was already wearing the pants, but his boots laid by the glass door leading outside. Kayla peaked her head around the door frame, knocking on the open door to get his attention. At the sound, he looked up to her, and she could see he'd been crying.

"It's ready."

Steve nodded as he sucked in his breath, rising from his spot on the bed. He clung to the heavy duty suit so tightly his knuckles turned white. "Okay."

"Okay." Kayla repeated, still leaning against the doorframe. "You don't seem ready though."

"I'm nervous. You saw what that thing did to Thanos five years ago-"

"You aren't going to use it..." Kayla trailed off, approaching Steve as he sat the top of his uniform on the bed. Kayla looked at him closely, seeing his jaw tighten, "Steve, you aren't going to use the gauntlet."

"Somebody has to" Steve responded as he grabbed his boots from their spot near the door and began to pull them on.

Kayla's brows shot up in surprise, but she stood her ground, "And that's a discussion we'll all be having together. But it's not going to be you. We didn't go through all of this for you to die now-"

"But you're willing to let one of the others die?" Steve asked viciously and Kayla answered without missing a beat.

"Yes. Without question. Every time." She snarled, circling the bed as she knelt down to unbuckle her boots. "You're just a man Steve."

He stared at his wife crouched on the floor, then looked back to the suit that sat beside him. "But I'm the leader of the Avengers."

"I think the saying is the Captain goes down _with_ the ship, not goes down _for_ the ship." Kayla corrected as she roughly yanked off her socks, discarding them lazily against the wall. "After all this time, after everything we've been through- I won't lose you like this."

Steve didn't answer Kayla, but he grabbed the top of his suit and began putting it on as Kayla looked in her closet for her suit. She paused though, clenching the door frame with both hands tightly as she dropped her head to the side. "I"ll meet you upstairs okay?"

"This is going to work Kay." Steve promised as he pulled on his fingerless gloves.

She smiled as she left the apartment, and pulled a bobby pin out of the depths of her long blonde hair to break into a room down the hall. As she heard the door unlock, she pushed herself in quickly and closed the door, trying to be as stealthy as she could.

"Why are you here?"

Kayla whipped around, grabbing her chest as she stood in her bare feet facing Clint Barton. He stood by the dresser, holding onto a framed photo of him and Natasha. "I- she kept something in here for me. I didn't want Steve around it."

"That sounds ominous." Clint answered darkly, his eyes moving as Kayla walked across the room to Nat's closet, "What's so important that Steve couldn't know?"

"It's not that he doesn't know, I just don't want him around it," Kayla called back as she knelt on the floor of Natasha's closet, pulling aside a shoebox to reveal a keypad. Clint appeared in the entrance to the walk in, arms crossed as he watched her type. Kayla looked up over her shoulder as the lock beeped and a panel popped open. "I've been working very hard the past five years. Needed to keep my mind busy. I regulated the serum in my blood. But that's not all I did."

Kayla gingerly pulled out a black case and opened it to reveal a dozen blue vials. Clint took a step closer and knelt down, picking up one of the tubes, "Is this what I think it is?"

"Maybe. You think it'll kill you or make you stronger?"

Clint set the tube back down, eyes darting to Kayla. "An anti-serum?"

"Work's better than a bullet. And it comes with an antidote. It's not meant for soldiers, it's meant for assassinations." Kayla warned, and Clint lifted his chin, staring at the wall ahead.

"Nat kept this here for you?"

Kayla nodded, carefully handing her case to Clint as she reached in deeper into the safe to pull out two dart guns. "Yeah. She could keep a closer eye on it. I trusted her more than anyone. Even Steve."

"That's high praise for a spy." Clint chuckled and dropped his head as his heart sank. "Why do you think you'll need it?"

Kayla turned to Clint and shrugged as she stood, kicking the safe closed with her foot, "I don't- but, you never know what could go wrong. They said to suit up, I'm coming prepared."

Hawkeye chuckled, "You aren't wrong. I'm bringing my bow." Clint sat the case on the bed and Kayla began loading the vials of blue into the minuscule darts for the gun. "If this doesn't work-"

"It will Clint. It will." Kayla assured him, shoving the dart gun into the back of her jeans before loading up the second gun with a different blue fluid. Clint watched her carefully as she finished working, then filled one backup dart just in case. She looked up and met Clint's stare, "Just in case."

"Aren't you going to get dressed?" Clint prodded as Kayla pushed the empty case under Natasha's bed. "They are waiting for us."

"Yeah, I'll be up to the lab in a minute," Kayla assured Clint, and he left her alone in their dead best friend's room.


	110. Chapter 109

When Kayla arrived in the lab, Rocket was studying the fingers of the gauntlet as it hovered in the air. Tony was on the opposite end, watching the raccoon carefully as he tinkered with their hard work. "Alright, the gloves ready. Now the question is who's gonna snap their fricken fingers?" He asked quietly as he looked up at the men before him.

Kayla's eyes darted to look at Steve, but the man stood still, not offering his services. She held her breath, worrying that he would need to step up to the plate.

"I'll do it." Thor mumbled as he stumbled forward, placing his hands out to steady himself as he approached the gauntlet.

As he staggered forward, Steve and Clint turned to face him, seeing him about to grab out for the glove and stopped him quickly, "No, no stop, Wait, Thor, just- wait." Steve put his hand up to the god to stop him as Tony literally blocked the large man from the gauntlet. Steve carefully explained, "We haven't decided who's gonna put that on yet."

Thor's eyes looked dead as he stared at Steve cruelly, "Oh, I'm sorry. Were you just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity."

"We should at least discuss it." Scott told Thor as he leaned toward the god. He stared up at the tall blonde man with wide eyes, and Thor leaned back toward him.

"Look, sitting here staring at the thing isn't going to bring everybody back," Thor explained as he gestured to the glove. Steve stared at him, understanding what Thor wanted to do, but knowing the man wasn't in the right headspace to play with the fate of the universe. Thor continued his argument, trying to get the rest of his team to let him snap his fingers. "I'm the strongest Avenger, so this responsibility falls to me. It's my duty-"

As Thor kept talking, Tony cut him off, getting in his face to shut him down, "It's not that... it's-"

"Stop it. Just let me-" Thor grabbed Tony's hand desperately, and there were tears brimming in his eyes as he pleaded Tony, "Just let me do it. Just let me do something good. Something great."

Kayla looked down at her boot, rubbing the ball of her foot against the shiny lab floor. She knew how much Thor wanted to make everything right, because he felt like he did everything wrong. But he couldn't- not now, not like this. As Tony continued trying to talk Thor off the cliff, Kayla crossed the lab to stand next to Steve, grabbing onto his hand and squeezing it supportively. "Maybe... maybe you need to do it?" She suggested quietly, and Steve leaned his head down to nudge it against hers.

"I'm scared."

"I am too," Kayla admitted, nuzzling Steve as he focused on the conversation unfolding in front of him.

"It's gotta be me," Bruce informed the group, looking up from them to stare out the window. Thor shook his head in despair as he leaned away from Tony, his gaze falling to the ground as Bruce approached them. "You saw what those stones did to Thanos. It almost killed him. None of you would survive."

Kayla continued to press her face against Steve's cheek as she stared at Doctor Banner with nervous eyes. "Bruce- what about you? How do we know you'll survive?" She whimpered, meeting her idol's eyes. The idea of losing Bruce broke her soul.

"I don't." Bruce admitted, "But the radiation's mostly gamma. It's like... I was made for this." Bruce looked sadly at the Infinity Gauntlet, knowing the agony he would put himself through if he put on that glove, but, he had to.

Tony gently plucked the glove from its case and passed it to Banner gingerly, watching his friend as he carried the gauntlet to the middle of the room. "Good to go, yeah?" Tony asked sincerely, making sure Bruce was prepared to fix the universe.

"Let's do it." He answered with a small smile on his face. Steve moved to the edge of the lab and grabbed his cowl, securing it onto his head before snapping the strap under his strong jaw. Kayla pressed a button on her belt and her quantum suit spread across her in the form of her blue stealth suit as she shifted in her heavy duty boots.

As Bruce prepared to put the glove on, Steve approached with his shield in hand, with Kayla on his left. Scott and Rhodey suited up as Thor motioned Rocket behind him. Tony's Iron Man suit appeared around him as he created a shield for Clint to hide behind. The archer stood with his back to Stark's arm, his bow in hand, prepared for anything to go wrong. Bruce nodded at Tony reassuringly before Tony asked his AI to activated Armed Door Protocol.

Massive metal plates fell into place, blocking the Avengers from the outside world, trapping them inside with the Infinity Gauntlet. Steve leaned his head toward Kayla, but never took his eyes off of Bruce, "I regret keeping you by my side. I'd feel a lot better if you were on the other side of the armed doors."

"Yeah, that makes two of us," Kayla grumbled, stepping closer to Steve so she was practically pressed against his back. She grabbed his waist as Bruce began to insert his large hand into the glove, the metal expanding around it as he slipped his fingers beneath the stones. Once it was fully formed to his arm, it clenched onto Bruce and shot jolts of electricity into him, causing him to cry out in pain. He fell to his knee, moaning as the electric current raced up the length of his arm. His athletic shirt began to burn away as the gauntlet scorched his skin.

Kayla's eyes practically glowed as she stared ahead at Bruce. She couldn't look away from what was happening, even though every bone in her body pleaded her to run. After a moment, it seemed to stabilize, but Thor yelled for Bruce to take it off.

"No wait!" Steve threw out his arm to Thor, stopping him from speaking before he turned to Bruce, "Bruce, are you okay?"

"Take it off, now!" Kayla yelled over the sound of sizzling. She leaned against Steve's arm, but he held her back with his shield as she turned to him, her eyes burning with fear, "It's not worth it-"

"Talk to me Banner." Tony's metallic voice pressed from behind the shield he'd created. Banner only nodded, telling them he was okay. He cried out in agony as he raised his arm, trying to snap his fingers. After a painful moment, he succeeded.

The minute the gauntlet was used, Bruce went limp, his eyes fluttering closed as he fell to the ground hard. The fried gauntlet fell from his hand and Clint quickly kicked it away as Steve knelt by his left side. Bruce grabbed onto Steve's wrist and squeezed it as Tony attended to his destroyed arm. Bruce winced as he asked if it worked. Thor pat Bruce's head supportively as Kayla dove in between the two men to kneel beside Bruce.

"Banner!" Kayla grabbed onto his large hand that held Steve with both her hands, trying to get his attention, "Bruce, you did everything you could. You did great Bruce, you did great..." She trailed off as the armored doors turned, allowing them a view of the outside world again. Kayla watched Scott wonder toward the windows to look outside. She could hear the sound of birds chirping outside happily.

Suddenly a buzzing was heard from the edge of the lab. Clint's eyes zoned in on his cell phone ringing in the other room. There weren't many people who had his number. They were all in the room, or dead.

Which could only mean one thing-

As Clint reached for his cell, Kayla pushed away from Steve's side to see who was calling the archer. When they reached the table, she saw a woman's face on the screen with the name Laura. Clint's lip began to quiver as his eyes widened, Kayla grabbed onto his arm as he answered the phone to talk to his wife.

"It worked," Kayla said to herself as Clint heard his wife's voice for the first time in five years. "It worked...Steve-" She turned over to see a shadow settling over the men in the lab. She gripped Clint's arm tighter as she opened her mouth to cry out, but the world went white as the missile cracked open the floor and swallowed her and Clint into the depth of the Avengers Compound.

* * *

Kayla grunted as she came to, feeling a pounding in her head. Her eyelids pried open as she struggled to regain her vision after the explosion. She slowly raised her hand to her head and pulled it away, finding her scalp was bleeding through her hair. She coughed as she pushed herself to her knees and looked to her right to see Clint beside her. "Clint!" She yelped as she gently shook the man, and he began to stir. "Barton, you okay?"

He pushed himself to his knees, debris falling from his back and quiver as he lifted his head to look at Kayla. "Yeah, I'm alright. You?"

"I'll be fine. What's happening?" She stuttered, looking up to see they were trapped in the service tunnels beneath the compound. "How are we gonna get out of here?" She found her footing and helped Clint to his feet as he groaned, holding his side. Once he was standing, he took a better look around to get his bearings. He flashed a light above him, but the floor had caved in on them.

"Cap!" Clint yelled up at the ceiling but there was no answer. He looked to Kayla and saw she had a grim smile on her face, resigned to whatever fate was about to bring her. "He's not coming through the comms."

"He'll be fine." Kayla assured Clint as she looked around, seeing water dripping from above them, "Right now I'm more worried about us. The water main is broken..." She trailed off as something red caught her eye over a rock. She picked up the charred glove and held it carefully in her arms. It was still Hulk-sized, and clunky to carry, but she knew better than to leave it there.

Clint's head rose slowly to look up over Kayla's head. Kayla looked up at him as he reached for an arrow from his quiver and turned swiftly to aim in the opposite direction. She watched him cautiously as she rose to her feet as well, holding the gauntlet tightly in her arms. Beneath the red lights of the tunnel, she could make out movement. She gulped as she realized the creatures before them weren't human.

Clint fired his arrow with a light attached to the end into the heap of creatures approaching him slowly, crawling along the walls with their long disgusting claws. Kayla grabbed his arm as they got a better look, her jaw quivering as she spoke, "Those are the aliens from Wakanda. It's Thanos's army."

At her words, Clint pushed her harshly away to get her to start running, and he followed close behind her. She darted through the wet tunnel beneath the former base away from the snarling Outriders, and after a few moments, she realized there were no footsteps behind her. She slowed to a stop and turned to see Clint chasing after her, but not able to keep up. She looked down at the gauntlet, then up to Clint as he finally reached her. "Get out of here!" He yelled, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her away as the aliens approached, "Get the gauntlet somewhere safe."

"No." Kayla protested, shoving the gauntlet into Clint's arms before drawing her gun from her hip and firing several darts into the Outriders, causing them to howl in pain, "You get the glove somewhere safe, and I'll hold them off."

Clint looked over his shoulder away from the creatures, then back to Kayla, "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive, now go!" Kayla yelled as they reached them, and she pulled out a real gun from her other hip and fired several ringing shots into the Outriders. As they fell to the ground, another pummeled Kayla and tried to kill her as she held it by the neck. She grabbed the dart gun from her suit and shot it several times until it shriveled up and collapsed on top of her. She flung it to the side before scrambling to her feet, panting as she looked after the few remaining Outriders trailing Clint. It wasn't worth chasing after them now, so she began sprinting in the opposite direction, looking for a way out.


	111. Chapter 110

"Come on buddy, wake up!" Steve gasped for air as he felt a kick in his side after hearing Tony's voice. Iron Man hovered above him, holding his shield. "That's my man." Tony knelt down closer to give him his shield back, "You lose this again I'm keeping it."

Steve panted as he lifted his head, trying to figure out his surroundings, "What happened?" He wheezed as he looked around at the wreckage. He remembered Bruce snapping his fingers, using the gauntlet. He was with the doctor, trying to make sure he was going to be okay. He felt Kayla leave his side...

"When you mess with time it tends to mess back." Tony replied as he grabbed Steve's hand and heaved him to his feet. Once standing, Steve glanced around frantically. He found nothing but devastation around him. Steve realized he couldn't locate the most important person in his life. His eyes flickered over the wreckage, looking for his wife, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Kayla?" He asked aloud, feeling his legs turn to mush beneath him at the idea she could be dead. Even if they succeeded, even if they brought everyone back, it wouldn't matter without her. He couldn't raise his son alone.

Tony clamped a metal hand on Steve's quivering shoulder, "I don't know Cap. But we have bigger problems right now. I know you don't want to hear that but-"

"I know... you're right." Steve shook off the panic, knowing his wife was resourceful. She'd make it out alive. She had to.

Tony moved slowly through the debris and eventually noticed Thor standing under an archway of rubble. He motioned with his head for Steve to follow him past the burning remains of their home, and led the Captain to the god. Thor stood like a statue, looking out over the crater beyond the building.

Sitting below them was Thanos. He seemed to be looking at his hand, unfazed by the carnage around him. A double-sided weapon sat to his right, his helmet hanging on top of it. It was unnerving watching the man who took everything from Steve sitting there, waiting. He raised his head a little, the trio catching his eye. However, Thanos didn't move. He stayed still, more amused by the rock between his fingers than the Avengers he planned to decimate.

"What's he been doing?" Tony asked, never taking his eyes off of the Titan.

"Absolutely nothing," Thor responded with a light shake of his head.

Where Tony had focus and Thor had complacency, Steve was scared. He was scared that he wouldn't walk away from this fight. He was just a man. He was scared his wife was buried beneath the Earth and he'd never even get to say goodbye. He was scared his son would grow up an orphan, never once knowing his mother's loving embrace. Steve saw everything he loved and hoped for falling to ruin like the building around him. Steve saw his future, and it only went as far as the Titan in front of him.

"Where are the stones?" Steve asked as his stiff frame rose and fell, trying to mentally prepare himself to die. What was he even fighting for? They already lost the fight against Thanos once. It was just three of them, how were they supposed to survive?

"Lost somewhere under all this. All I know is he doesn't have them." Tony answered lightly, his focus breaking slightly in their small advantage. Steve couldn't think that way though. He didn't know if there was anything they could do to win. But he was Captain America, and he'd make them believe enough to try.

"So we keep it that way," Steve told them confidently, even though he was literally shaking in his boots. If he just knew she was okay. If he knew Kayla was alive, he could waltz into this fight knowing he was fighting for her.

 _Where the hell are you Kay?_

"You know it's a trap right?" Thor asked the men. Steve was breathing heavily, focused on Thanos as his teammates spoke around him.

"Yeah, I don't much care." Tony quipped in response, turning to Steve and Thor.

 _I do._

Steve sucked in air at Tony's words, feeling like he wasn't on the same page as the other two. His mind was elsewhere. Tony knew Pepper was safe at home with Morgan. He didn't have to worry about her dying alone. The idea of Kayla under all of this... broke Steve's soul.

He was only partially aware that Thor summoned Stormbreaker and Mjolnir, holding the ax in one hand and his hammer in the other. Lightning illuminated his eyes and his body as his dirty sweats morphed into his battle armor. "Let's kill him properly this time."

Steve finally let his eyes drift from the Mad Titan to look at Thor, feeling incredibly small and worthless next to the God of Thunder. He didn't want to do this. He wanted to find his wife. But as Iron Man and Thor began to surge forward, he found his own legs taking him along, keeping pace with the others. He was their leader. He was _Captain America_. He couldn't abandon his team. If he didn't fight now, there wouldn't be any world for his son to grow up in at all. He had to protect the one member of his family that he knew was alive. Wherever he was.

Steve practically drug his feet as they approached Thanos. The Titan smiled at them as they got closer. He studied them, and it struck Steve to his core that this Thanos had never met him. He didn't remember the man who held him off with his bare hands. He also didn't remember punching Steve's brains out.

"You could not live with your own failure. And where did it bring you?... Back to me." Thanos taunted the men as they approached. They split apart, beginning to surround the monster as they drew closer, nobody more so than Tony Stark. He'd been haunted by Thanos longer than anyone else.

Despite this, Thanos looked into Steve's blue eyes, staring into his very soul as he spoke about killing half of the universe, "I thought by eliminating half of all life, the other half would thrive. But you've shown me that's impossible, as long as there are those who remember what was, there will always be those unable to accept what _can_ be... they will resist."

"Yup, we're all kinds of stubborn." Tony taunted, but Steve could see out of the corner of his eye that Tony looked terrified. The billionaire, like Steve, understood that he was only human, and he was entering into a fight he had no business engaging in.

Thanos lifted his head, and Steve could hear the ground shift beneath him. "I'm thankful." Thanos told them quietly as he tossed his rock away, "Because now I know what I must do. I will shred this universe down to its last atom. And then... with the stones you've collected for me, I'll create a new one. A grateful universe." Thanos placed his helmet back onto his head slowly before ripping his sword out of the ground. He was ready for battle.

"Born out of blood." Steve spat angrily, his own rage bubbling within him as he looked up at the purple monster before him. If they didn't succeed right here, right now, every living creature would die. The Mad Titan thought of himself as a god, and Steve would personally push him down from his pedestal if that's what it took.

"They'll never know it." Thanos continued easily, not the slightest bit fazed by the fury in Cap's eyes, "Because you won't be alive to tell them."

Thor let out a battle cry as he threw himself toward the Titan, and Thanos easily held him off. Steve ran toward him, shield up, but Thanos swatted him away like a fly, sending him flying into the rubble. Steve groaned as he tried to pry his body out of the rocks, looking out at the fight raging in front of him. Thor was channeling his lightning into Tony's suit, then Tony was giving Thanos everything he had. The Titan reflected his blast against his weapon until he reached Tony, then he hoisted Stark up and let Thor smash him with Mjolnir. Tony fell limp against the rocks, and Steve's attention flew to the hammer that sat dormant about ten feet from him.

He looked from the hammer to Thor, then ran back into the fight, doing a flip and kicking at Thanos's face. As he landed, he braced himself against his shield to ram into Thanos, but the Titan sent him flying back before he had a chance, knocking Steve roughly through a piece of rock. Steve landed with his face down in the dirt. He struggled to move, feeling every one of his hundred and five years in his bones. Steve didn't want to get up. He wanted to stay down and give up. He was tired of being beaten down.

Steve looked up to see Thor summon Stormbreaker, but Thanos intercepted it and began pressing it against Thor's chest. Steve knew if he didn't do something now, Thor would die, and they'd have no shot without him.

 _The hammer..._

Steve pushed himself to his knees and tried to get his feet under him. He looked back to Thor, realizing he was about to be impaled by his own ax. Steve staggered over to the hammer, and grabbed onto it, praying that maybe, just maybe, he was worthy of the thing...

And he lifted it.

As soon as the head of the hammer left the ground, Steve knew he had a chance against the Titan. He wound up his arm and chucked the hammer at Thanos as hard as he could.

Mjolnir smashed into Thanos, knocking him off his footing for a moment. It hung in midair for a second before being summoned back to the Captain. It flew into Steve's hand and he caught it, staring at Thanos with determined blue eyes. He shifted into a fighting stance, ready to take on Thanos. Confidence surged in the super soldier as Thor beamed at him, muttering, "I knew it."

Thanos kicked Thor in the face, knocking him into the rubble before turning his full attention on Steve Rogers. Steve began spinning Mjolnir rapidly as he approached Thanos, undercutting him in the face with the hammer and knocking back the Titan. As Steve landed on his feet, he continued staring at Thanos, ready for another bout. As Thanos found his footing, Steve nailed him with the shield, then sent the hammer flying at the shield, knocking it into Thanos with impressive force. He knocked Thanos to his knees, then kneed him in the chest while he was down. Steve knocked Thanos's face back with his shield.

Then Steve swung Mjolnir, sending shots of lightning into Thanos and grinding him into the ground. The soldier thrust the hammer into the air, summoning lightning, then brought it all down onto Thanos. Steve just couldn't lose.

He leaped into the air, bringing the hammer down onto the Titan, but Thanos rolled out of the way and scrambled to his feet before grabbing Steve by the neck and smashing him into the ground. Steve ducked away from Thanos as the Mad Titan grabbed his weapon, coming at the soldier. He pulled off his helmet and discarded it as he lunged at Steve, striking him in the leg. Steve cried out in pain as the metal sliced through his thigh. He tried to swing Mjolnir at Thanos, but the monster grabbed his hand and threw it back, forcing the hammer out of his grip.

Without the hammer, Steve looked at Thanos with terrified eyes as the Titan slammed his sword into the shield- and sliced into it. Steve could see his demise on the horizon, but he couldn't give up now. Maybe, just maybe, a miracle would happen.

Thanos hurled his sword into Cap's shield, chopping it away with every swing. Over and over and over again, until only half of the shield remained. On the eighth swing, Thanos knocked Steve to the ground, and the soldier prepared to die. He panted as he stared at what was left of his precious shield before looking up at Thanos in fear.

"No!" A voice shrieked as a blonde blur threw herself between Thanos and Steve. The Titan's goal wasn't the woman though, so he grabbed her by the neck and chucked her away easily before smashing against Steve and his shield one last time, sending the man flying through the air.

Steve landed on his back fifty feet away, trying to turn over and get up. But he couldn't. He just couldn't get up. Not this time.


	112. Chapter 111

Kayla pushed aside a piece of the compound wall to reveal the outside world. She panted as she looked around for Steve and the others, and her eyes fell upon Thanos.

Thanos had Thor pinned down against the rubble with Stormbreaker pressed against his chest. Kayla pressed her hand against her chest, watching anxiously to see if Thanos would be able to overpower the god. Her eyes widened as she stayed hidden, feeling an unfamiliar sense of self-preservation in the presence of the massive creature.

Out of the blue, Thanos was struck off his feet, giving Thor a chance to breathe. Kayla's gaze followed the hammer's movement as it flew into her husband's hand.

 _Steve?_

Kayla's jaw dropped open in surprise as her legs felt weak. She leaned against the concrete, trying to get a better look at the man below her.

 _That's Thor's hammer... you have to be worthy to lift Mjolnir. Steve is worthy... Steve is worthy!_

Kayla slowly began to creep forward as her husband charged into battle with Thanos, spinning Mjolnir wildly as he prepared to strike. Steve held his own as he scored hit after hit against the larger creature. Kayla didn't want to distract her husband, but she was acutely aware that even if he was winning, he was still in imminent danger. Steve may have thought he was invincible, but Kayla didn't want to test his theory.

She stopped dead in her tracks when Steve swung the hammer toward Thanos, sending bolts of lightning through the ground toward his opponent. Kayla stared wide-eyed as Steve summoned lightning from above, then brought it down into Thanos. As Thanos struggled beneath the force of the lightning, Steve prepared to make the final blow.

"I didn't think it was possible to love that man any more," Kayla muttered to herself as he jumped into the air, bringing Mjolnir down onto Thanos. The Mad Titan rolled to the side before impact, causing Steve to smash the hammer into the ground.

The tide quickly turned and Thanos grabbed onto Steve's neck, thrusting him against the dirt as Kayla broke into a sprint toward them. As Steve struggled to his feet, Thanos began striking at him wildly, sending Mjolnir flying before hacking away Captain America's shield.

 _If this is it, I'm going down first. I won't watch him die again._

Thanos finally knocked Steve to the ground and prepared to murder the soldier. Kayla slid in front of Steve, sitting on her knees between the Titan and the man she loved. Kayla stared at the massive monster before her with defiant green eyes. Her suit was dirty, and her face was unrecognizable, and her soul felt like it was leaving her chest. For Kayla Rogers, the moment moved in slow motion. She was protecting her Steve, then a massive purple hand was reaching for her neck, choking the life out of her for just an instant before discarding her like a rag doll to the side.

As she hit the ground, Kayla drove her boots into the mud, pushing herself to her feet as she dashed back toward the place Thanos had thrown Steve. He wouldn't die alone. They hadn't spent nine years together for her to leave him now.

"Steve!"

He heard her voice approaching as he laid on the ground, staring up at the sky with disbelief. He'd fought so many battles over the past century, and this was the one where he'd lay down his life.

 _We're going to lose again. We're all going to die._

"Steve, Steve baby, you gotta get up." Kayla yelped as she slid on her knees to a stop next to her love, shaking him as she wheezed, "Steve, you're the last man standing."

Steve grit his teeth as he rolled to the side away from his wife, planting the remnants of his shield into the soil to give him something to push against. Everything hurt like hell. He was just a man, and he couldn't stop Thanos. He'd already tried and failed. Twice. He couldn't do it alone and Kayla was right, he was the last man standing.

He rested against his forearm as Kayla sat behind him, rubbing his upper arm supportively as she watched him struggle. "I'm here, I'm not gonna leave you. I'm with you till the end."

Steve turned his head to look over his shoulder at his wife, seeing resignation and sadness in her eyes as she forced a grim smile. There were tear streaks making a path through the dirt caked onto her perfect skin. She didn't even seem to realize she was crying because she was breathing so hard, more worried about Steve than herself.

He couldn't stand it.

"Get out of here Kay. You've got to save the baby." Steve told her before letting his head drop, causing her to scramble around him to see his face.

"He'll be okay. Wherever he is, he's going to be fine. He'll have Wanda and Sam and Bucky. He'll have a family. And I'll have you-" Kayla stuttered as she looked back over her shoulder at Thanos, who smiled wickedly at the couple as Steve quivered in his sight.

"No. This baby." Steve pressed his left hand gently against her stomach, his half shield shaking on his arm as he touched her suit. His eyes lifted from her stomach to her eyes, "I know."

Kayla shook her head as the tears began to flow more rapidly. She didn't fight Steve, because he was right. "I-" She sobbed as Steve pushed himself up and collapsed onto his ass, "I don't want to leave you." She grabbed onto his cheeks with both hands, her arms shaking violently as she gazed into his eyes.

Steve smiled sadly at her as he rubbed his thumb along the thick fabric of her blue stealth suit on her stomach. He was saying goodbye. "You have to Kay... please. Don't let them die. Don't leave our son an orphan. Find him, and tell them about me."

Kayla nodded as a low wail left her sore throat as she flung her arms around Steve's shoulders, weeping into his neck as he stared ahead at Thanos. The Titan approached the couple slowly, smiling knowingly as his boots thud against the Earth. "In all my years of conquest, violence, and slaughter- it was never personal." Kayla pulled away from Steve and turned, staring at Thanos with hatred. She knew what was about to happen, and she knew she couldn't stop it. Thanos once told her fate didn't want her to have her husband and her son. It seemed fate had finally arrived.

Steve shot the Titan a dirty look, and once Thanos knew he had Cap's full attention, he continued his gloating. "I tell you now- what I'm about to do to your stubborn, annoying little planet... I'm gonna enjoy it. Very, very much."

Behind Thanos, a blue light shot down from the heavens and when it subsided, hundreds of thousands of soldiers stood in rows, led by the Children of Thanos. Kayla crawled quickly to stand behind Steve, holding onto his strong shoulders as she stared on in horror. Massive carriers of more reinforcements crashed behind the army, opening their doors to reveal space monsters three times the size of the Hulk.

Steve staggered to his feet as Kayla slowly rose behind him. She pressed herself against his back, feeling him shaking. She kissed his shoulder blade and lifted her lips to his ear as he looked at the army ahead of him. "There will be no orphans today." She promised before she took a step back, allowing Steve the dignity of his choice. He was ready. With shaking fingers, he grabbed the strap of his shield and yanked it tightly, securing it against the broken skin of his sliced forearm. He grit his teeth in pain and tightened his jaw, missing the feeling of his wife pressed against him, and knowing he'd never feel it again.

As Steve limped toward Thanos and his army, Kayla stood on a piece of debris behind him, her waist-length blonde hair blowing wildly in the breeze. She ground her teeth as her chest heaved, never taking her eyes off of Steve. "There will be no orphans today." She repeated quietly to herself as she held her own stomach lovingly, looking down at her quivering hand, "Only widows."

Kayla's mind replayed the moment she first saw Steve Rogers in person. The Governor's Ball, 2013. She wore a long blue dress, and he wore a classic black tux with a red tie. He was so nervous and distant. She wanted him. She wanted to study him. She wanted to understand what made this ordinary man from Brooklyn so special, how he survived being frozen in ice for seventy years. But more than that, Kayla Ellis wanted to love Steve Rogers. She wanted to make that sad, quiet man happy. And she did. For almost a decade she loved that man, and she never realized she didn't know what love was until she met Steve. And this was the culmination of all of that. She bore his legacy, and it was such a burden for her to bear- going on without him.

"Cap, you hear me?"

Steve stopped in his track at the voice in his ear. Kayla raised her head, hearing it too. Steve's hand raised to his ear as the familiar voice spoke again-

"Cap, it's Sam. Do you hear me?"

Steve's chest rose and fell as he tried to understand where Sam was. He'd been hoping Banner's snap had worked. He'd been praying that they were all alive somewhere...

"On your left."

Steve turned to look over his left shoulder, seeing a sparkling yellow circle shining like the sun to the left of Kayla. She watched it with bated breath, hoping it was who she thought it was- the rest of the Avengers.

From the blinding light walked three slim figures slowly. Okoye and Shuri flanking the Black Panther on either side. When they saw Captain America, T'Challa's mask faded away to meet the soldier's eyes. Steve breathed shakily as a thankful smile broke through the dirt and grime that covered his face. T'Challa gave him a small nod, an understanding between the two of them. Steve was thankful the man was alive.

Kayla's hands flew to her mouth as she began to sob. Shuri and Okoye smiled at her as T'Challa looked to Steve. Shuri gave her friend a knowing wink as Kayla laughed, feeling relief wash over her.

From behind the royal family of Wakanda came Zawadi, charging toward Kayla at full speed. He leaped into her arms and started licking her face lovingly as she sobbed into the chestnut fur on his neck. She fell to her knees as she cradled the dog in her arms.

It worked. Bruce brought everybody back.

And from the portal flew the Falcon, circling above Steve like Icarus flying near the sun. Sam flew around, drawing Steve and Kayla's eyes to the sky as hundreds of other golden portals began to appear, bringing reinforcements into the battle. As Sam landed between Steve and Kayla, the blonde woman jumped to her feet and ran to him first, flinging her arms around his neck as he leaned his head into her, holding her tightly with one arm as Steve nodded happily at the sight. Zawadi barked loudly as he circled Sam and Kayla, panting happily at his owner.

"You're alive." Kayla gasped, crying against Sam as he pat her arm supportively.

"I am. We're back." Sam assured her as Steve swallowed back his tears of happiness. His attention was pulled away as he saw Spiderman flip out of a portal, his mask disappearing to reveal Peter Parker alive and well. Kayla beamed at the boy as her husband did the same from a hundred feet away.

Behind T'Challa, the entire Wakandan army appeared from the African nation, following T'Challa as he led them in chanting their war cry. Hundred of thousands of warriors ready to fight. Kayla's heart swelled as Sam held her, looking around at the other portals that brought help for her little band of Avengers.

A woman on a pegasus led an army from New Asgard, and Wong led a thousand sorcerers through from Kamar-Taj, their hands glowing yellow. Then Wanda landed in front of Valkyrie, and Kayla bolted from Sam to embrace the redhead as her hands glowed red with power. She embraced Kayla fondly, allowing the woman to cry into her neck as she held her too tight.

"I see you missed me." Wanda laughed, patting Kayla on the back as she leaned her face against the blonde's hair. Wanda pulled away, taking in Kayla's tear-streaked cheeks and puffy eyes, "Wipe your tears, Kay. It's time to fight one last time." At her words Kayla turned around, facing Thanos and his army along with the rest of the Avengers and their own armies. Even Zawadi began to growl at the Titan, the ridge on his back rising as he snarled beside Kayla's feet.

In front of the allies, Pepper Potts herself landed in her very own suit, the facepiece flying up to reveal her determined scowl. Kayla's mouth dropped at the presence of the woman- as much as Tony needed the support, he wouldn't want his wife in the fight. But then again, wives don't always listen to their husbands.

Kayla raised her chin defiantly and pressed some buttons on her quantum suit, transforming it from the trashed stealth suit into one that mimicked her husbands. A white star in the center of her chest and blue long sleeves melted into metal plated white and red on her stomach, protecting her baby from the oncoming conflict. Red boots came to her knees and red gloves covered her hands to her knuckles as her messy white hair flowed down her back. She stood confidently next to Wanda, taking a fighting stance as Ant-Man broke through the debris, a hundred feet tall. From his fist, he released Bruce, Rhodey, and Rocket.

Steve spun around, taking in his army until his eyes landed on his wife in her new uniform. She smirked at him knowingly, and he nodded a little, realizing she wasn't going to leave. Not now, not with her family back.

Steve turned back to Thanos, seeing intimidation in the Titan's eyes for the very first time. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. This was meant to be an easy victory, but now, it would be a bloody fight.

"Avengers!" Steve yelled out as Thor landed behind him. He looked to his right as Mjolnir flew into his hand, seeing his wife by his side. She gave him a firm nod and he looked back to Thanos menacingly, "Assemble."


	113. Chapter 112

Steve charged into the fight of his life with his family by his side. Kayla kept pace with him easily as he ran full speed ahead, carrying his broken shield in one hand and Mjolnir in the other. When they finally reached Thanos's army, Steve shot lightning from the hammer toward the aliens ahead of him and Kayla skid her red boots into the ground to stop, pulling out a dart gun from her suit in each hand, shooting double handed into the army as her dog viciously attacked one of the Chitauri nearby.

Kayla saw Wanda ripping Outriders in half, and darted over to her psychic friend's side, leaving Steve alone to continue fighting. Once beside Wanda, Kayla pressed her back against the Scarlet Witch, rapid firing at anything that came her way while Wanda tortured those who came at her from the other side. "Damn I've really missed you." Kayla yelled over the roar of battle to Wanda, who simply smiled knowingly at her friend's comment. The worst part of seeing Kayla again was that she could read Kayla's mind. She could read Kayla's thoughts and knew why the blonde was being so clingy. Kayla couldn't let Wanda out of her sight, because she felt guilty for Natasha's death.

Suddenly, Proxima Midnight charged into the women, knocking Kayla off her feet. The blonde rolled backward and kicked the alien woman off of her, but Proxima landed on her knees and climbed back to her feet. Wanda turned and flew toward the two, but Proxima swung her spear toward Wanda, blasting her back before turning her attention to Kayla. Proxima swiped her spear under Kayla's legs and caused her to fall quickly, crawling backward away from her in fear.

Kayla stared up at the creature and aimed both of her guns up at Proxima, practically growling defiantly. "Go ahead. Do your worst."

"You'll wish you didn't say that," Proxima said as she aimed her spear at Kayla, preparing to blast her before she was knocked back harshly by two blasts from Shuri's vibranium gauntlets. Kayla sighed as she nodded her thanks at her friend before Shuri turned and shot out at another enemy. Kayla grunted as she put her guns back into their holsters before putting her hands behind her head and pushing herself back to her feet, looking around frantically as she realized she was alone.

"Steve!" Kayla called into the chaos before throwing up her arm at a ninety-degree angle to send her fist into the face of a Chitauri. With the alien unconscious, she knelt down and grabbed its weapon, revving it up. "Cool. I remember seeing these after New York." She shot the weapon and killed several Chitauri rampaging toward her. She turned again when she felt the presence of someone behind her and found herself aiming the gun at Sam Wilson.

"Hey, hey there killer, it's just me. You doing okay?" Sam raised both of his hands toward the girl as he took a step closer, retracting his wings as Kayla whipped around and shot several more aliens before answering.

"I'm fine. You seen Steve?"

"I think you should worry more about yourself right now. Cap's got this." Sam raised his guns and shot over Kayla's shoulders as she raised the Chitauri weapon with one strong arm, shooting it easily around Sam.

Kayla looked at the Falcon, then around her quickly, "I haven't seen Barnes? Is he?..."

"He drew the short straw, he's back in Waka-"

"Oh," Kayla quipped, pointing to the right as she saw Bucky firing his machine gun one handed. "He's over there!" Oddly, Kayla saw Zawadi nearby, flanking the Winter Soldier as he fired into the battle, never leaving the man's side.

Sam looked up suddenly, his brows drawn beneath his goggles, "Damn it, Barnes, we had a deal, you drew the short straw. What the actual hell are you doing here?"

Bucky looked up and smirked at Sam before going to back to his one-handed shooting, ignoring Sam's shouting. Before Kayla could ask what Sam meant, a large gorilla-like alien came charging toward them, chasing Clint Barton who had the Infinity Gauntlet. Sam took to the sky and flew into the alien, knocking it down and stabbing it with his wings as he yelled.

"Cap? What do you want me to do with this damn thing?" Clint called as he ran through the battle, and Kayla took off after him, seeing somewhere she could help.

Steve continued stabbing the aliens with his broken shield, looking over his shoulder to yell, "Get those stones as far away as possible!"

"No, we need to get them back where they came from!" Bruce yelled at Steve, and his voice came through the comms to Kayla, causing her to slide to a stop and look toward where she could see the Hulk.

 _Put them back?_

"Clint! Give me the gauntlet," Kayla ordered loudly as her red boots pushed her harder than they ever had to catch up with the archer as he stopped and turned to her. "Clint- let me have it..."

"Why?" He asked curiously, not understanding why the blonde had been so determined to let Clint take the glove earlier, and now she wanted it for herself.

Kayla clenched her teeth, looking around nervously as she leaned back, avoiding an otherworldly blast, "Please, we can't give them back. Not yet."

"Not yet? What do you mean not yet, Kayla... Kayla the world is at stake. And everyone in it. Why do you need the stones? You know they can't bring her back!" Clint called to Kayla as an explosion happened to their left.

Kayla's lip quivered as she looked down at the red glove longingly. "We don't know that-"

"Does anybody see an ugly brown van out there?" Steve yelled into the comms, and Kayla turned in the direction she heard his voice call, catching a glimpse of her husband on top of a hill looking out over the battle. When she turned back to Clint though, he was gone.

Kayla saw the archer passing off the gauntlet to T'Challa, and Kayla abandoned her hopes of saving her best friend, knowing that she'd want them to win, by any means necessary. Otherwise, her sacrifice would be for nothing.

Kayla sprinted through the battle, focused on one thing, and one thing only: finding her husband. She saw Mjolnir flying through the air, eventually catching Spiderman's webbing and dragging the kid into the air. Kayla smiled though and followed where the hammer had come from, hoping to find the mortal man worthy of wielding it.

Steve saw Kayla approaching him and met her halfway. "You alright Kay?" He asked after slicing a Chitauti's neck with his shattered shield.

Kayla smiled hopefully at her husband, feeling the warmth of safety in the middle of a massacre, "I just needed to be with you. To make sure you are okay-" Kayla lifted her alien weapon and fired two rapid shots at an Outrider that was leaping at Steve from behind. He didn't even flinch as he heard the creature thud to the ground behind him. He just smiled back at his Kay for a moment before grabbing Kayla with his left arm and staring up at a leviathan that was swooping toward them from the sky.

"As much as I love having you near, I really wish you'd get somewhere safe." Steve grumbled, never loosening his grip on his wife. He didn't even realize he was holding her off the ground, as she had instinctively wrapped her legs around him as he moved. She settled her boots back into the earth and looked around, her hopeful smile falling.

"We aren't exactly winning here..."

Suddenly Thanos's ship began to shoot into the battlefield mercilessly, not worrying who it killed. Steve slipped his foot under Kayla's legs and tripped her, knocking her to the ground and throwing himself over her, holding his half shield over her to protect her from the gunfire. Peter Parker, still holding the Infinity Gauntlet after taking it from T'Challa was forced to hide under a rock to survive. Rocket wrapped his arms around Groot to protect him as he cried out. Bucky dodged out of the way of a blast, scrambling to hide against a piece of debris.

Kayla raised her head under Steve's broken shield and met Bucky's terrified eyes as he panted, looking over his shoulder as he stayed out of the line of fire. He discarded his gun and held Zawadi close to him, keeping the dog safe as Kayla watched. Kayla leaned her face closer to Steve, pressing her cheek against his arm as he covered her, protecting her. Suddenly a blast caught the soldier's leg and he cried out in pain.

"Steve! Steve-" Kayla quickly pushed herself to her knees as he winced. She yanked him toward her roughly and cradled him for a moment as he held his calf, showing the back was burned from the blast. "Baby, can you stand?"

"Yeah, just- gimme a minute." Steve groaned as he stretched his leg, feeling the burning sensation as he willed himself to heal. Kayla looked up, realizing that one of the sorcerers stood just behind her, protecting them with his yellow shield. She nodded gratefully at the man before turning her attention back to Steve.

Kayla yanked out a syringe from her belt and pulled the cap off with her teeth, "This is gonna sting a little, but it should do the trick." Kayla stabbed the needle into Steve's leg as he winced, looking to his wife questioningly. She met his blue eyes for a fleeting moment before pulling the needle from him slowly. "Feel better?"

"I do actually," Steve admitted, looking from the syringe to Kayla as she loaded the vile into one of her guns. "Thank you."

Suddenly, all the firing stopped from above and a silence fell over the battlefield. As the sorcerer dropped his golden shield, Kayla and Steve's eyes flew to the sky, along with everyone else's. All the guns on the ship turned to begin shooting into the clouds, allowing the ground forces a brief moment of reprieve. Kayla stood first, pulling her husband to his feet as he leaned against her.

"What the hell is this?" Sam asked over the comms as he swooped overhead to get a better look.

A golden orb of light like a shooting star came bursting from the dark clouds towards Thanos's ship, ripping through it like a meteor. Once emerged on the other side, Steve and Kayla could see it was Carol Danvers soaring through the sky, tearing through the ship again and causing the whole front to erupt into flames before crashing into the lake.

Thanos himself panted in terror as his ship was destroyed. He no longer had the advantage of terrorizing the Avengers from above. He was getting overpowered. He had to get that gauntlet, or he'd lose.

"She can get the gauntlet to the van." Kayla told Steve, never taking her eyes off of the glowing blonde woman in the sky.

Steve didn't miss a beat after his wife's directions, knowing they needed Captain Marvel to finish this. "Danvers, we need an assist here."

Kayla pressed her left hand to Steve's arm lovingly, giving his a gentle squeeze as she smiled weakly, "I'll make sure Peter is okay."

"Be careful Kay. Please..." Steve begged, and she just nodded before taking off toward where the boy had landed nearby, clutching the gauntlet tightly.

Carol landed in front of him, and the boy stared up at her with wide eyes as Kayla slowed down behind Carol, smiling down at Peter. The boy's eyes flickered to Kayla, slight recognition sparking in them before turning back to the newcomer, "Hi. I'm- Peter Parker." He mustered with a terrified smile as Carol smirked down at him.

"Hey Peter Parker. You got something for me?" She asked as Kayla helped Spiderman to his feet, letting him lean against her as he looked around, still cradling the giant glove in his hand.

The beat up teenager saw ten thousand aliens soldier stampeding toward him, and he passed the glove to Carol, "I don't know how you're gonna get it through all that." He muttered, and Kayla gave him a one-armed squeeze as he rested against her side.

"Don't worry." Wanda told the boy as she landed behind Carol.

"She's got help." Okoye finished, staring ahead at the oncoming conflict. Kayla beamed as Pepper landed in front of Okoye and Shuri joined several of the women from outer space while Valkyrie rode her Pegasus behind them.

"Nat would have loved this." Kayla whimpered, and Wanda placed a hand on her shoulder, causing Kayla and Peter to look at the redhead.

"She's the reason we're here." Wanda reminded Kayla, and the blonde turned her head back to the oncoming fight, and smirked wickedly as she loosened her grip on Spiderman, allowing the boy to back away as she pulled two of her dart guns from her belt. She cocked one, then realized it was empty. She looked at the weapon, then back at Peter, and tossed it aside before popping open the other one.

"What's wrong?" The boy asked as all the other women began fighting, leaving Kayla behind.

She opened her mouth to answer, then closed the gun, stowing it back into her belt. "I'm out of anti-serum."

"Anti-serum?"

Kayla looked from Peter to the battle ahead, seeing Okoye shank Corvus Glaive with her spear and discard him over her shoulder and pin him into the ground. "I don't have time to explain kid. Get somewhere safe okay?"

"Yes ma'am."

Kayla ran after Okoye as the woman left Corvus, but Kayla suddenly tensed as she saw Proxima Midnight running toward her. She took a fighting stance, but the woman slowed to a stop and knelt beside the dying man who was bleeding out grey from his chest. Kayla watched for a moment, the fighting around her falling away as Proxima lifted Corvus onto her knees and cradled his face in her hand.

 _She loves him._

Kayla took a few steps closer, scooping up a discarded spear from the ground that a Dora lost. She approached the pair cautiously, but Proxima didn't look up at her until she was holding the spear to her throat. The woman peered up at the blonde, sadness written across her wicked face. "Finish it."

"Just like that?" Kayla asked, moving the spear farther down the alien woman's body to tap her chest with the sharp tip of the spear. "This is too easy." Kayla threatened, secretly wanting the woman to fight her, so when she killed Proxima it wouldn't be in cold blood. The only time Kayla ever killed anyone was for Steve.

And she saw their faces every night, haunting her forever.

Proxima's eyes looked down at Corvus as he took his last breath, finally giving way to death. Kayla stiffened, seeing the stillness in his body and knowing the woman would retaliate tenfold because of it. Kayla prepared to fight, shifting her weight nervously as she kept the spear pointed at Proxima Midnight.

"Finish it." She repeated, her deep voice breaking as she looked up at Kayla again, "Then I can be with my husband in death."

 _Husband._

Kayla dropped the spear and backed away quickly, never taking her eyes off the other woman as her mouth shook, tears threatening over overtake her as she scrambled backward. She looked around with panic, needing Steve. She needed to find Steve. She couldn't share the same fate as this monster. Proxima tried to kill her. She tried to kill Wanda. She tried to kill Nat in Wakanda. But Kayla wouldn't kill her. She couldn't kill her. Kayla _was just like her._

Kayla heard Zawadi's loud barking and turned to see him running toward her from Bucky's side. She sprinted toward the dog and clicked her tongue when she reached him, leading him back to Bucky as he continued to shoot at the aliens. "Where is Steve?" She cried out, grabbing her stomach protectively as she stared at Barnes. "I need to find Steve."

Bucky spared a glance at her as he let his gun drop for a moment, swallowing hard because he knew what she would do, "He's going after Thanos."

Kayla looked back where she came from, seeing a blinding light coming from where the van once sat, knocking everyone back. She took off running as Bucky tried and failed to catch her arm after dropping his gun to the ground to free up his right hand. Her long blonde hair whipped her face as she charged back into the fight at full speed, vaguely aware that her dog was barking loudly at her, but not following.

Kayla saw Thanos shove Tony to the side, grabbing at the gauntlet. She saw Thor charge toward the Titan and hold him off with both Mjolnir and Stormbreaker. Then she saw Captain America leap onto Thanos's back and try with all his incredible might to choke the life out of the monster. Thanos headbutt Thor, causing the god to fall to the ground. Then Thanos grabbed Steve by the back of the neck and flung him over his shoulder, rolling over the soldier before pummeling Steve unconscious with a powerful hit to the face.

"STEVE!" Kayla screeched, but she couldn't move as two strong metal arms held her back, keeping her from leaping into the fray.

"Kayla no." Pepper scolded her, her helmet flinging back to reveal the strawberry blonde's own terrified look, "Kayla leave them."

The blonde stared at Pepper with tear-flooded green eyes, pushing against the metal suit with all her might. She began to wail, reaching past the Rescue suit to where her husband lay. She didn't want to be like Proxima Midnight. She didn't want to be a widow today.

Pepper's grip on the woman loosened when she realized Thanos was now wearing the Infinity Gauntlet, and Kayla took her moment of shock to break away, but she only made it a step before she stopped, grabbing her stomach. Her chest heaved as she realized it was happening all over again. Steve was dead. She was pregnant. Thanos was about to snap his fingers.

Captain Marvel kept his fist open, but Kayla watched in horror as he pulled away the Power Stone and used it to send the woman flying away into the rubble. Thanos replaced the stone and Kayla's hand twitched for her gun as she saw Tony move toward the Titan.

Iron Man grabbed at the gauntlet as Thanos restored the Power Stone, and a brief tug of war with the glove began. Kayla darted toward Steve and slid to a stop beside him, holding onto him as she watched the scene unfold nearby. She flipped him over and held his cheek, realizing she could feel his pulse. Steve was alive.

A feeling of hope surged through Kayla at the revelation that Steve was going to live- unless-

Thanos discarded Iron Man and raised his hand to snap his fingers. Kayla understood what was about to happen, and she couldn't let it happen- She pulled her gun from her belt and aimed it with shaky hands as Thanos looked to Tony.

"I am inevitable."

Kayla shot at the same moment as Thanos snapped his fingers. Nothing happened but a clink of metal. Kayla gasped, realizing he didn't have the stones. She shot again. And a third time for good measure, wheezing as she saw Tony holding up his hand, all six Infinity Stones implanted into his suit. The power surged through him as he looked at Thanos.

Steve's head was pounding, even louder than his heart. He opened his eyes slowly, realizing he was in his wife's lap. He felt the feeling of her strong thighs against his head as he took a deep breath, willing himself awake, unaware of what was happening. He leaned his head to the side to see Tony about to snap his fingers, and Kayla looked down in shock as a tear fell from her cheek onto Steve's face.

"And I... am- Iron Man."


	114. Chapter 113

Steve saw Tony snap his fingers, and everything went white. He slammed his eyes closed, scrunching his face as he turned to pressed his nose and lips against Kayla's abdomen. She stroked his dirty cheek comfortingly as she shook, still reeling from their almost defeat. Her baby would be safe. Her son would be safe. Her husband would be safe. Her friends and family would be safe. Kayla would be safe.

Thanos had lost.

Steve opened his eyes and stared at the red and white stripes of his wife's suit, feeling the cool metal of the protective paneling across her stomach on his nose. After a moment he pushed himself gently onto his butt, staring at his wife as she cried. He held her face and kissed her sweetly, stroking her own filthy cheek with his right thumb as his left hand squeezed her thigh. He just wanted to feel her. To make sure she was real and she was alive.

After a moment, Steve forced himself to his feet, pulling Kayla up once he was standing. He held her against his chest, unwilling to let her and his unborn baby go after this fight. He walked onto the battlefield prepared to give his life, but God spared him. Steve Rogers would defy death one more time today. He looked around, seeing all of Thanos's allies turn to dust and blow away in the wind. The sky was practically black with the remains of the aliens who served the Mad Titan. The leviathans disappeared as they crashed to the earth and the Chitauri cried out as they faded away. Kayla looked up from Steve's chest to see Proxima Midnight still cradling her husband as they both faded to dust, never to be reunited again.

Steve smiled as the relief washed over him, seeing their enemy vanish, knowing they'd never have to fight Thanos and his army again. Until his eyes landed on his teammate, charred and dying, crawling towards a piece of building to sit against.

Steve's relief turned to guilt as he understood what their victory cost. He couldn't even enjoy the sight of Thanos sitting down and hanging his head in defeat before blowing away into the wind...

Kayla turned to see Tony resting against the rubble, his eyes empty as he stared ahead. He knew he was dying. Rhodey was the first to approach Iron Man, and touched his face, not needing to say anything to his best friend. It was when Peter flipped in, calling out for Mr. Stark that Kayla had to avert her eyes, burying her face in her husband's chest as the tears began to flow freely. He held her tightly but didn't comfort her. He didn't know what to say. It should have been him? No, he didn't want that. He didn't want that for anyone. But Steve knew sometimes there wasn't a way out. This was one of those times.

"Hey... Mr. Stark. Do you hear me? It's Peter." The boy said softly, trying to meet the dying man's eyes, but Tony couldn't focus anymore. "Hey... we won. We won Mr. Stark. We won and you did it sir- you did it..." Kayla struggled to breathe as the air caught in her throat and she pulled away from Steve slightly to see Peter was crying, and Pepper was beginning to pull him away. Kayla took a few steps from Steve toward the boy as Pepper gently pushed him aside, needing a final moment with her husband. "I'm sorry Tony..." Peter cried as Kayla grabbed hold of the boy and held him in a tight hug, pressing the back of his hair into her collarbone as he tried not to sob.

"Shhh, Peter. It's gonna be okay, you know?" Kayla whimpered as she took the boy back a few steps, allowing Pepper to say goodbye. "He did it to save everyone. The whole universe owes him a debt. He can rest easy now, knowing his family is safe. That family includes you." Kayla informed the boy as she stroked his back, looking over her shoulder to see Steve crying, his mouth open as he tried to breathe. Kayla looked over Peter's shoulder as he cried, seeing the light of the arc reactor go out. She gripped the boy tighter, protecting him from seeing Tony die.

Kayla watched as Pepper planted one last kiss on her husband's face, and Peter suddenly realized he was holding up the woman instead of the other way around. "Kayla? Kayla are you okay?" He whimpered as he caught her easily, her legs turned to jelly. Steve came up behind Kayla and gently pulled her from Peter, nodding to the boy with a forced smile. Peter started to turn around to look at Mr. Stark again, but Steve reached forward and pulled him against his chest as well, holding his wife in his left arm, and the boy in his right. Steve leaned his cheek against Kayla's head as she dry heaved, trying to gain control of her breathing, but her own guilt hit her like a knife to the heart. She smashed her gun into the ground angrily, watching it crack as it hit the rocks below her feet.

She swore there would be only widows today. It was a noble sentiment- when she had been talking about herself.

For the first time in hours, the former Avengers Compound was quiet. Pepper looked up at the group after a few moments, then turned to Rhodey, "We, uh-"

"I'll take care of it Pep." Rhodey answered, pressing his metal hand onto her suit as she began to cry again. Rhodey looked around, and Bruce walked over with Clint to pay their respects. Thor looked to Steve, and Steve swallowed hard, giving a firm nod of his head before letting go of Kayla and Peter.

Peter looked back toward the group of Avengers who mourned Iron Man, unable to see his mentor beyond their massive forms. Kayla pressed her forehead against the side of Peter's hair, and he leaned into her, tears still streaming from his eyes. T'Challa bowed, followed by Shuri and Okoye, and all of Wakanda. The sorcerers and the Asgardian army followed suit, and suddenly everyone was bowing down to their fallen hero. Steve noticed out of the corner of his eye, and tapped Thor on the shoulder, causing the god to turn and look. They parted ways so Pepper could see everyone honoring her husband, and she smiled through her tears.

Then the field began to clear. Doctor Strange approached Kayla and Peter, eyeing her suspiciously, "I see you two know each other?"

"We're family." She answered quickly, and Peter looked up at the tall blonde with surprise. "But I suppose it's time for everyone to go home."

"Yes. I suppose it is Mrs. Rogers." Stephan told her as his brow raised skeptically, still wary of the troublesome girl. He began creating portals for everyone to go home. New Asgard. Kamar-Taj. Wakanda.

Kayla gave Shuri a strong hug before moving to her brother, pressing a firm kiss against his cheek. When she pulled away, even Okoye beamed at the blonde, embracing her in a fond hug. As Okoye pulled away, she looked at T'Challa coyly, and the King just smiled at Kayla. "Good luck Kayla. You're going to be a great mother."

Suddenly the golden portal disappeared, and Kayla was left with her hand raised, wanting to ask a question, "Speaking of which-" She started as they vanished, and she clamped her mouth closed, her brows drawn. "Where is my son?"

"Our son?" Steve corrected, placing a large hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, and he was smiling weakly. She looked over his shoulder to see the place Tony had laid was now barren, meaning Bruce had carried the man away. With almost everyone gone, Kayla felt a sense of emptiness in her heart. Tony was dead. Natasha was dead. The Avengers... were lost without a home.

Zawadi began to bark, jumping up onto Bucky's leg and panting happily. Kayla noticed the way the soldier stared at the dog defensively, his metal arm pulling away from the large creature as he clawed at the vibranium. Steve beamed at Bucky Barnes, and finally allowed himself a proper greeting with his friend. He gave Bucky a hug that Barnes returned with his right arm, then pulled away slightly and motioned for Steve to look down.

As Kayla approached, curious as to what Bucky was hiding, Sam landed beside the two men and began cussing out the Winter Soldier, "What the fuck man? You drew the short straw. You were very clear that you understood what that meant back in Wakanda but here you were, shooting up shit-"

"Sam?" Kayla questioned, but Steve didn't even hear Sam's words, because he was too focused on whatever Bucky had handed him. At Kayla's words, Sam stepped aside, allowing Kayla a full view of her husband as both Bucky and Sam beamed at her proudly. The sight snatched Kayla's breath away. She quickly closed the gap to Steve and their son, who laid sleeping in his father's arms. Tears began to stream from Kayla's eyes as she grabbed the swaddled baby and held him against her chest, "You're back. Oh my love, you are back. And you are perfect." She cried at the child as he yawned a little, opening his eyes to look at his mother for the first time. "Hi baby." She cooed, stroking his cheek with her slim gloved fingers. She looked up at Steve with wonder in her green eyes, and he beamed proudly down at her. "Our son."

"Yeah. It's our son." Steve repeated, wrapping his arms around his wife in a fond embrace as Sam clamped his hand on Bucky's shoulder. Steve's smile radiated through his dirty face as he turned to his friends. "Thank you. Thank you so much." He let go of Kayla to grab Sam and hug him tightly before giving Bucky another hug.

"I'd like to point out that Barnes drew the short straw and was supposed to stay in Wakanda with your child. I was on board with that plan." Sam stated defensively, and Steve looked at Bucky questioningly as Kayla raised her head, a dark frown on her face.

"Do you mean to tell me, that our son was here, in this battle, the whole time?" She snarled at Barnes, holding the baby a little tighter to her chest until he began to cough. She loosened her grip and rubbed her grey nose against the baby's soft skin before throwing another threatening look at Bucky.

He just shrugged and put hooked his thumbs through the straps of his fest, "He's the product of two super soldiers, pretty resilient kid. Plus, he slept the whole time. Nestled between the cool metal arm and me."

"This brings me no comfort, but thanks for not letting him die, I guess." Kayla snapped back before turning her attention to her baby, going from cold super soldier to doting mother in the blink of an eye. Zawadi panted at her leg obediently, looking up at the baby with devoted eyes. Kayla smiled down at the dog and knelt so he could sniff the child, "I know, you were such a good boy Zaddi, protecting baby from the mean aliens. You are such a good boy." She cooed at the dog and Steve shook his head at his wife as he knelt down beside her to pet the dog lovingly. Zawadi licked Steve across the face, adding a layer of slobber to the layers of dirt.

"Thanks, buddy. I appreciate that." Steve muttered back as Kayla giggled, then pressed a kiss against her cheek, transferring some of the mud and drool to her. "Let's go home, Kay. All of us."

"Does that include us, cuz I don't really have a home?" Bucky asked teasingly, but there was truth behind his statement. Kayla and Steve turned to Bucky and Sam, and Barnes shrugged, a small smile on his lips.

"You both have a home with us. Always." Steve replied, and Kayla just smiled at them as Steve turned and led them away from the wreckage.

As they approached the remaining Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy, everyone looked up to see the Captain and his wife with their son. Thor raised his ax triumphantly at the sight, and Clint smiled as he slung his arm around Wanda's shoulders, leading her to the pair.

"Look at that. He's a handsome little devil. He's got his mother's eyes." Clint exclaimed as he looked from the baby to Kayla, then back at the little one, "You two decide on a name? You've had enough time to think about it."

Kayla looked up to Steve, and Steve looked down at their son. Kayla smiled, never taking her eyes off her husbands, "James. James Anthony Rogers." Steve looked up to meet her eyes and his lips twitched up in a lopsided smile.

"I like that."

Bucky looked down as Sam glared at him bitterly, then the pilot broke into a teasing smile and smacked Barnes on the back. Thor poked James in the chest gently as Kayla stared at the god, confused and dazed at his reaction to the baby.

"Could I hold him?" Wanda asked quietly, and Kayla nodded and passed the child to Wanda, allowing the psychic to cradle the baby. Her smile slipped a little, and Kayla could see her thoughts clear as day. Wanda missed Vision. Wanda forced the smile back onto her lips and looked back up at Kayla before handing her the baby back. Kayla cradled him tightly as everyone cleared out of the way for Pepper and Rhodey to approach.

Kayla cleared her throat when she saw the strawberry blonde and tried to figure out what to say. Pepper always knew what to say though, "He's beautiful."

"Would you like to hold him?" Kayla asked quietly, holding out the baby for Pepper to take now that she was out of her suit. Pepper took the baby and smiled down at him as he looked up at her with wide green eyes. "His name is James Anthony." Pepper looked up to meet Kayla's eyes and the blonde just nodded, and that said more than her condolences ever could.

"Happy is working on a small memorial service out at the lake in a few days." Pepper explained as she bopped up and down with the infant, "It would mean a lot to me if you all would be there."

"We will be," Kayla promised as Pepper gently handed the baby back to Kayla. Once James was tightly nestled against Kayla's arm, the blonde woman gave Pepper a one-armed hug before saying her goodbyes to the others. Pepper gave Steve a strong hug that he returned, and she could hear him sniffling behind her ear. Their relationship may have been difficult at times, but Steve took Tony's death very hard, especially because Tony's death would ensure he got to spend his life with his family- even if Tony didn't.

Steve led Kayla, Sam, Bucky, and Zawadi away from the smoldering compound toward the dirt road that would take them back to civilization. A world where people thought dead would be alive. Families would be reunited, loved ones would find each other again. And for Kayla, it felt familiar. It's like that band was back together, except for one glaring difference: they'd traded Natasha for Bucky.

And Kayla would never get over her friend's death.

 ** _Author's Note:_** _You guys. You guys its almost over. There are only three more chapters. From Erskine to Ellis is coming to an end and it's breaking my heart. Thank you all so much for all the love and support. As of posting this, this story has almost 71,000 views. I'm so thankful for every one of you who's read this passion project of mine. I've absolutely loved writing it. - That being said, when this story is over, it's not **over**. I'm already 43 chapters into the sequel story called From Ellis to Rogers, so please please please check that out when this is done! Thank you all again 3,000_


	115. Chapter 114

"Mom! Mom, help. He's crying. He won't stop crying, I don't know what to do!"

Sandra chuckled as she heard her daughter's voice calling from the spare bedroom of their large country house. She turned to Mathew, who sat in his easy chair in the sitting room reading a book while Sam looked up from his newspaper in the direction Kayla had been calling. "Matt, keep an eye on the chicken, I don't want it to burn."

"I can do it, Mrs. Ellis." Bucky offered, sidling up next to the woman and gesturing toward the oven. She smiled and thanked Bucky before turning in the direction of her daughter and her screaming grandchild.

When she opened the door, she found Kayla bopping up and down, holding her son as he screamed and held onto her long blond hair with his little fist. Kayla gasped as she saw her mom, pleading for help, "He's been wailing for twenty minutes. I don't know how to make him stop. I've tried rocking him, singing to him-"

"Contemplated asphyxiating him," Tiffany mumbled from where she sat on the bed next to the crib. The short brunette pushed a loose strand of hair from her pony-tail behind her ear as she tapped her foot impatiently, having no more ideas at calming the baby than his mother did.

"I could always give it a try..." Wanda offered as her eyes glowed red and the smoke danced on her fingers. Kayla opened her mouth to answer, then shut it and shook her head politely. She didn't want to mind control her son into slumber, she wanted to comfort him enough to lull him into complacency.

"Maybe you kids should go out for the evening, do something fun. Tomorrow's going to be a hard day." Sanda suggested as Kayla passed her the baby. Sandra gently pried Kayla's hair from his little fingers, but she didn't' mention how much stronger he was than the average baby. In his grandmother's arms, the child continued to bawl, but the older blonde took it in stride and continued to sway back and forth while her daughter freaked out.

"I'm a terrible mother. I've been in his life three days and he already hates me. The first day was great, he liked me then. Yesterday he started doubting me, but today, oh, today he knows that I'm the devil." Kayla hyperventilated as she set her head against the wall hard and stayed like that a moment until she heard the baby stop crying.

At the newfound silence, she turned with her mouth agape, needing to know what had calmed him down. She huffed, crossing her arms defensively as Steve babbled and cooed at his son, bringing a beaming smile to child's face. Steve looked up to see Kayla's scowl and smiled boyishly at her, proud that he could pacify his boy.

"He likes you better." Kayla barked quietly, and Tiffany threw her arms in the air as she rolled her eyes. She'd spent the better part of the day trying to convince her best friend that she could be a mother. It was overwhelming for Kayla, and Tiffany half expected Kay to run away from her newfound responsibilities.

Steve didn't even look up from the boy as he continued to babble, but his words were directed at Kayla, "No, James doesn't like me better. He's just a daddy's boy, aren't you James?"

"That's the definition of liking you better." Kayla deadpanned as she leaned against Steve's bicep. Sandra nodded toward the door, hinting at Tiffany and Wanda to give the family some alone time. As the door softly closed, James reached up his little hand and made a grabbing motion toward Kayla, and Steve gingerly passed the child to his mother. Once in Kayla's arms, the baby grabbed at her long hair and began to tug at it, easily yanking several strands out before Steve pulled it out of James's fingers. He laid his head to the side against Kayla's chest and began to snore softly as she swayed back and forth. Kayla looked up at Steve, and he could see her green eyes were tired. She'd been working non-stop to prepare to get the stones back, and then the battle, and then James, who never liked to sleep when his parents did.

"Kay-" Steve started, looking at his wife and son with more love in his heart than he realized was possible. He wanted to tell her that everything was going to be okay, that they were going to figure it out and that she was going to be an amazing mother to their son James, and their next little one on the way. "I love you."

"I love you too Steve."

Steve tilted her chin up to kiss her sweetly, pressing against her as James slept. "Let's put him down for a bit, have some dinner. Maybe go for a ride. Bucky will babysit."

"You know it freaks me out. He's an assassin." Kayla mumbled as she tucked James into his crib, rubbing her thumb along his cheek before backing away.

Steve scoffed, shoving his hands in the pockets of his tan pants, "Buck is his namesake. Your idea, remember?"

Kayla narrowed her eyes at Steve, "He's still an odd babysitter."

"I think he gives James a calming presence. He's quiet, not high strung."

"I'm starting to understand your dynamic in the friendship," Kayla replied and Steve shushed her as she opened the closet and pulled out Steve's black suit for the next day. She ran her fingers along the fabric, then looked to her husband, "I can't believe he's gone."

"I can't either. But we owe him everything."

"I wasn't going to argue with you about that." Kayla replied quietly as Steve grabbed her by the waist, "I just wish there was more we could do. I just wish that- I don't know. I mean, I do know, I wish we could bring them back. We have the power of time travel... we have the Infinity Stones..."

"Not for long." Steve corrected as he pointed his index finger at Kayla, "I'm putting them back next week. Banner thinks he should have the quantum tunnel up by then. What's done is done, Kay. We need to focus on what we have, not what we lost." Steve pressed a gentle hand to Kayla's stomach as he turned over to James and Kayla followed his glance, holding onto the hand on her abdomen. She nodded in agreement as she gave him a hopeful smile. When he pulled away though, she let it melt away into a thoughtful expression.

"I'll be there in a second," Kayla told Steve as he opened the door, and he nodded, looking at James as she scuttled over to the bedside table and turned on the baby monitor. She looked at her son, feeling guilty that tomorrow she'd have to face Morgan at her father's funeral. "I love you, James." She whispered before leaving the spare bedroom and closing the door quietly behind her.

Three days earlier, Kayla had finally pulled her cracked cell phone from her stealth suit to find twenty-eight missed calls from Sandra Ellis, including eleven voicemails, and seventeen missed calls from Tiffany Jones.

Kayla got ahold of her weeping mother after that fateful battle, finding herself choked up at hearing her mom's voice again. The former President arranged for a van to pick up his daughter and her family, and the three rag-tag friends who she considered family. Kayla practically dove out of the moving vehicle into her mother's arms and her father joined the two as the blonde practically suffocated her parents with her embrace. She was still full of blood and mud and her hair was a matted mess, but Kayla didn't care.

Kayla had never been more proud than when she presented her baby boy to her mother. She beamed proudly through the dirt and grime as Sandra and Mathew took in their grandson.

It wasn't until Kayla was alone in the shower that the tears began to come, and she whimpered beneath the shower head until she couldn't cry anymore.

As Kayla emerged from the bedroom, Wanda was on the other side, prepared to peek her head in, "Dinner is ready." She informed the blonde quietly, her hands tucked into her back pockets of her jeans. She studied Kayla, seeing the exhaustion that Steve had seen, but knowing it wasn't just the newborn causing her stress, "You feel guilty."

Kayla raised her head slightly to meet Wanda's eyes, seeing the red ebbing as the witch left Kayla's thoughts, "You know I do. Tony had all of this. And he's gone. How are we supposed to go on living knowing what it cost? How am I supposed to watch James with Steve knowing Morgan will never hold her father again?" Kayla's voice cracked and Wanda reached out, and rubbed her friend's arm comfortingly. "And-" Kayla started again, standing straighter in an attempt to feel more composed, "And Nat. I just, can't accept that she's gone. Clint said she knew about the baby." Kayla pat her stomach sadly, her eyes watery, "Everything just feels... broken. And you- I see how heartbroken you are, and I can't bring him back. I don't know how. But I want to... for you. I feel like I don't deserve to have my son and my husband. I feel too lucky."

"I still feel him, in my soul. We are connected through the Mind Stone. We always were, and we always will be. Even if he's gone... I still feel him." Wanda admitted, a complacent smile growing on her lips as she thought of Vision. "You are lucky," She continued, her thick accent making her sound more bitter than she felt, "But, it could have gone the other way. Don't waste away your second chance." Wanda warned as she gently tugged Kayla's arm, bringing her back to the dining room where everyone sat at a long table.

Mathew Ellis sat at the head of the table with his wife on his right. Sam Wilson sat on his left, engaging the former President in conversation about policies and military, seeing as Sam got out of service right around the time Mathew took office. Next to Sam sat Tiffany, grinning like a fool at the man next to her. Something about missing five years of life made her realize she'd found her person, and she'd never let him go on the run without her again. Next to Tiffany was an empty chair for Wanda, and the other head of the table sat Sergent James Barnes, who slung his vibranium arm over the back of his chair to get a better look at Captain Steve Rogers seated to his left.

When Kayla and Wanda finally entered the room, Steve stopped talking to Bucky and smiled up at his wife, patting the chair between himself and Sandra. Kayla grinned back at him and went to her seat, rubbing the back of the soldier's neck fondly as she situated herself between her husband and her mother.

"I see you got James to go down for a nap." Sandra offered her daughter the salad bowl as Kayla dished herself some mashed potatoes. She took the greens from her mother and sucked in her breath, opening her mouth to answer.

"Yeah, he just had to get all his fussing out." Steve cut her off, leaning forward to see Sandra as he served himself and Kayla some of the chicken they'd been cooking. Steve turned to Kayla with a smirk, "He really likes to yank your hair."

"Get's it from-"

"So what time are we leaving tomorrow? It's quite a drive out to the lake cabin isn't it?" Tiffany asked loudly, interrupting her friend.

Steve nodded sadly, his playful banter with his wife subsiding to make way for tomorrow's memorial, "We'll probably have to leave here around six. They're a few hours away. Pepper asked if I'd be there early. She found a message from Tony."

"I'll stay with James." Bucky offered, raising his right hand as everyone turned to look at him. Under their stare, he deflated a little, looking down at his plate as he picked up his fork, "It's not like Stark would have wanted me there anyway."

"Buck-" Steve started, but the Winter Soldier looked up and Steve stopped talking.

Wanda spoke up as she picked at her salad, never looking away from her plate, "We all did things we regret. We all have hard feelings. In death, they don't matter anymore. He saved us all. We need to show our respects for that."

"Plus, I was planning on bringing him." Kayla added, looking up to meet Bucky's glance, "Kids at a funeral always make the mood a little lighter. Its the thing nobody admits they want. You can't be sad around children." Kayla shoved a piece of chicken into her mouth and chewed obnoxiously, trying to lighten the mood. The tension hung so thick she could have cut it with a knife, "So it's settled, we're all going. We'll take two cars, Mom and Dad want to come as well."

Bucky nodded slowly, his brows still drawn as him and the blonde stared at each other. "Alright."

"This is delicious by the way. It's cooked to perfection." Kayla added as the pointed down at her meat, smiling through her mouthful around the table. Tiffany shook her head and sighed, a small smile unable to stay off her face. Bucky blushed at Kayla's compliment, realizing she didn't know he'd been the one to finish dinner.

* * *

Steve closed the bedroom door quietly so as not to wake up James. The child was still sleeping two hours later, and Captain America needed his sleep tonight. Kayla stood in the connected bathroom with the door open, brushing out her thick blonde hair slowly in her pink nightgown. Occasionally she'd look up and meet Steve's eye, then avert hers to look back into the mirror. After a few minutes, she put the brush down and sat on the bed next to the crib.

"I don't know if I'm cut out for this Steve," Kayla whispered as she gently rocked the crib back and forth.

Steve took a seat next to her and put one arm around her torso and with the other hand, he gently held the one she used to rock the crib. "I know its overwhelming. It feels... disconnected. I can't imagine how it is for you. You were ready to give birth and five years later you actually have the baby. But he's here now. And we love him, right?"

"Of course I do, Steve. You know I do." Kayla moaned back, leaning into Steve's chest as he pulled her tighter against him, "I just- want to be good for him."

"You will be. He's three days old, the only things in this world he knows is that everything is scary and that you are going to protect him." Steve pressed a kiss to Kayla's scalp, then scooted away. "We should get some sleep before he wakes up. I'll take him tonight."

"No, you have a big day tomorrow. I'll take care of him." Kayla argued in a hushed whisper as Steve crawled into the other side of the bed, "Get some sleep love."


	116. Chapter 115

Kayla cradled James as she stood on the grass with Sam, Tiffany, Bucky and Wanda. She looked over her shoulder at the cabin behind them, waiting for Steve.

Pepper had requested Steve be with the family when they played Tony's message, along with the other original Avengers, Rhodey, and Happy. Kayla hadn't argued. She didn't know if she could handle whatever Tony left for them all. What he left for his daughter.

Tiffany leaned into Sam as she wrapped her arms around his torso, resting her head against his chest. The group was silent as they waited. The only sound was Kayla gently shushing James to keep him calm. She fought back her own tears, knowing this could have been her husband's funeral just as easily. Steve had been ready to die. Tony hadn't.

"I don't feel comfortable being here. Especially with Ross." Bucky mumbled, shifting his weight as he could practically feel the Secretary Of State's eyes piercing into the back of his head.

"My mother will take care of him." Kayla hissed under her breath, sparing a glance over her shoulder at Thaddeus Ross, who was talking quietly with the former President and First Lady.

Suddenly Clint pushed the cabin door and held it open as Pepper led the way out, holding a wreath in her left hand and Morgan's hand in the other. The strawberry blonde had her hair pulled back in a low ponytail and she wore a black sheath dress. Pepper smiled gratefully at those in attendance as she led her daughter to the dock hanging over their lake.

They were followed by Happy and Rhodes, and Steve behind them. Steve smiled weakly at Kayla as she gave a small wave, holding James tight in her other hand. She could tell Steve was being stoic to keep it together- he'd cried getting ready that morning as Kayla watched from the bedroom.

Tony would have been proud of all the people who came together to honor him. The Avengers. The Guardians of the Galaxy. Ant-Man and the Pyms. The former President of the United States. Captain Marvel and even Nick Fury himself.

Pepper gently placed the wreath into the water, letting it float away. In the center was Tony's old arc reactor- Proof that Tony Stark has a Heart. Steve raised his head bravely as he watch it float away. Steve knew Tony was at peace after many years of struggling. It just didn't make losing him any easier.

After a few moments, Pepper turned and led Morgan back to their home, and everyone parted to let mother and daughter pass. Once on the grass, Pepper let go of Morgan's hand and the girl took off running in her little black dress, her dark brown hair flowed wildly behind her as she scrambled onto a bench on their porch.

Steve watched the little girl go before turning to Happy and Rhodey, shaking both of their hands firmly. "I'm really sorry, Rhodey," Steve said as Happy wondered off after the child. "I know what it's like to lose a best friend."

"Yeah, but you got yours back." Rhodey answered, gesturing toward Barnes with his head.

Steve shook his head though, looking back at Kayla and Bucky sadly, "I was talking about Romanoff."

Rhodey gave Steve a firm nod, understanding what he meant. The Black Widow was more than a friend, she was Cap's partner and confidante. She was the only woman Kayla trusted to protect her husband. Her loss was felt as much as Tony's.

Steve wandered back to his little family and found Kayla bouncing nervously as she waited for her husband. "You okay Steve?" She asked as he approached, motioning for her to pass him his son. She gently placed the infant in his father's arms and stretched, her back muscles flexing beneath her long black halter dress. She pulled her long mane over her shoulder now that her son wasn't within hands reach of her long locks. "I think there are refreshments inside?" She suggested and Sam pulled Tiffany gently toward the cabin as Bucky followed, making eye contact with Secretary Ross as he walked.

Wanda looked up, seeing Clint wandering alone toward the lake. "I'm gonna check on him." She gestured with her chin as she walked through the grass down to the water.

"Kayla!"

Steve and his wife looked over their shoulder to see Bruce wandering up, his damaged arm in a sling under his suit. His hand was in a loose fist as he reached the woman. "I believe these belong to you?"

He opened his hand to reveal three small darts and Kayla practically jumped out of her skin at the sight. "Jesus Bruce, you can't bring those around the children!" Kayla sneered as she held out her hand in front of Steve protectively. She stared into Banner's green hand for a moment before her green eyes flew up to meet his darker ones, "These didn't vanish with them?-"

"You know where I found these Kayla." Bruce answered as he dumped the empty darts into the scientist's shaking hand. Steve looked curiously from Kayla to Bruce as his wife stammered.

"Doctor Banner," Steve started, taking control of the conversation as Kayla backed away from the Hulk. Bruce looked over at Steve apprehensively as he prepared to get scolded by the Captain, but Steve just turned his body a little, revealing a little infant dressed in an Iron Man onesie. "I don't believe you've met my son, James."

Bruce melted at the sight, his frame softening as Steve placed James into Bruce's left hand. The baby fit comfortably in his palm as he squished his eyes closed, rolling over as if he'd found himself a new bed. "He's perfect, Steve."

"He's only here because of you Doctor. Thank you for your sacrifice." Steve gestured to Banner's charred arm as the Hulk smiled down at his baby.

"It was the least I could do Cap. I think we know that I paid the smallest price here. I'm just thankful you and Clint got your families back. Makes it worth it to see all the kids."

"I only wish Tony was here to be with his." Steve trailed off as both men looked up at the porch where Happy sat with Morgan. Bruce smiled grimly, and carefully deposited James back into Steve's arms before wandering off to speak with Thor and the Guardians. Steve looked over to the balcony where Kayla stood, carefully depositing the darts into her bag. "You want to tell me what that was about?" Steve asked as he approached, seeing as there were no more sharp objects near his son.

"Not really," Kayla grumbled, and quickly stole James away from Steve, nuzzling the baby lovingly with her nose as she ignored her husband.

"We don't keep secrets from each other Kay..." Steve trailed off, placing his hands on his hips as he stared at her. He softened at the sight though, seeing that she was trying very hard to keep calm as she cuddled James. "We can talk when we get home."

"I promise, it's nothing, Steve." Kayla assured her husband quietly, looking up to meet his blue eyes. The rest of the world and its sorrows fell away as she looked at Steve Rogers. They had endured a great loss, but, after grieving would come acceptance. And moving on.

"Rhodey said there would be food. I'm going to get something to eat." Steve told Kayla awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to end the conversation in a neutral way. He wasn't letting her off the hook, but this wasn't the time or place for interrogation.

Kayla nodded slowly at her husband, seeing he was uncomfortable with her secrecy, "I'll be here in a minute." Kayla's eyes followed Steve into the cabin, and once out of sight, she followed, nodding to Scott in greeting as she passed him. As Kayla climbed the steps, she saw Happy still sitting with Morgan. The girl seemed so calm and indifferent. She didn't understand. That made it so much worse for Kayla.

When she saw the blonde, her eyes lit up, "Auntie Kayla." She blurted, remembering what Tony had referred to her as when they first met. Happy looked up and smiled weakly at Kayla, and her eyes began to well with tears, feeling like she didn't deserve the title. Morgan's attention fell from Kayla's face to the little human in her arms. "Can I see it?"

"That's not a toy, Squirt. He's a very little baby." Happy informed the toddler, but Morgan was still curious. She stared up at James in his little red and gold Iron Man onesie with big dark eyes, wanting to inspect him closer.

Kayla knelt down so Morgan could look at the baby, smiling as she reached out and stroked his cheek with her little fingers, "This is James. James Anthony actually. After your dad."

"Can I hold him?" Morgan asked, never taking her eyes off the child.

Happy began to stammer quickly, "No, no- he's very tiny. Only adults can hold him-"

"You can hold him." Kayla interrupted and lifted James into Morgan's little arms as she leaned back in the wooden chair. Happy looked at Kayla incredulously as she handed her infant to a four-year-old, but Kayla just shrugged, "He's very... durable." She settled on, turning from Happy to beam at Morgan Stark and her child. "He likes you. Look, he's smiling at you." Kayla told Morgan as James giggled at the dark-haired girl.

"I'm sorry, I'm still stuck on durable. How do you know your child is durable?" Happy retorted with a panicked look on his face and Kayla just laughed, smiling as James tried to grab at Morgan's hair. Kayla gently pushed the little girl's hair behind her ear so James wouldn't pull on it, and Morgan just smiled back at the baby as he gurgled at her.

"I see you've made a new friend."

Kayla looked over her shoulder to see Pepper looming over her, watching her daughter hold James. Kayla rose quickly and stepped out of the way, opening and closing her mouth as she tried to think of the right thing to say. "I, uh, yeah. He really liked her, too."

"Maybe they'll get along better than their fathers," Pepper smirked as a long chunk of strawberry blonde hair fell from her ear to shield her face from the rest of the world. Kayla nodded a little as she looked from the woman to their children. Even though Kayla had turned her attention back to the children, Pepper continued talking as Happy watched her carefully, "Tony hated Steve for a long time after coming back from Siberia, but I don't think he respected any man more than your husband. He'd never admit it, but he thought very highly of Steve. Even after everything that happened with the Accords."

"I really hated your husband for a while after Siberia too." Kayla admitted, never looking up from the children, but lowering her voice at her words, "But we were both very worried about him. I pulled strings. We checked in on you two while traveling. I'm glad they got to reconcile before..." The blonde trailed off as James let out a cry, and Morgan looked up at Kayla panicked at the noise.

"What's wrong with him?" She shrieked as she pushed him away a little, and Pepper dove to her knees to make sure Morgan didn't drop him. Kayla casually squatted and took back her son, and the moment he was in her arms he ripped out a good chunk of hair and waved it as he cried some more.

"He's just hungry. He gets crabby when he's hungry, but after he's eaten you can hold him again if you'd like." Kayla informed Morgan as the little girl ran her small hand over his bald head.

"Maybe," Morgan informed Kayla before hopping off the bench and scuttling away to find someone else to entertain her now that James wasn't fun anymore.

Kayla chuckled as she and Pepper rose to their feet, "If you need anything. Anything at all, don't hesitate to call." Kayla told the woman as she gave Pepper a one-armed hug. Pepper nodded gratefully, not having anything else to say. As Kayla started to turn, she quickly turned back, raising her free index finger as she had a thought, "Oh, odd question, you don't think Morgan would like a puppy, do you? We suddenly have five dogs, and that's a good three dogs too many if you're interested."

"Is it one of those monster dogs you had years ago?" Happy asked from his spot on the bench where he sat listening to the women.

"It's one of his puppies. Very loyal dogs. I've got three puppies to find homes for, you want one?" Kayla asked Happy quickly and hopefully, but the man shook his head in disgust at the idea of a dog.

Pepper, on the other hand, smiled at Kayla and nodded, "I think Morgan would like that a lot. We'll set up a day for you guys to come over for dinner."

"Sounds wonderful," Kayla admitted with a beaming smile, and Pepper remembered the night she met Kayla Ellis for the first time, and she was all beaming smiles and seductive comments. The woman had come a long way in the past decade. Pepper never expected the socialite to become part of her family.

Kayla took James over to the car and opened up the backseat, pulling a large diaper bag over to the door. She opened up the cold section of the bag and took out a bottle for James, bouncing him to calm him as he waited for food. Once he had the bottle in his mouth, Kayla leaned against the car and blew air out of her mouth anxiously. She felt overwhelmed.

"How are you doing honey?" Sandra Ellis asked gently as she approached Kayla, and her daughter looked up nervously from her son. "You okay?" Sandra asked again when Kayla didn't respond.

"I've wanted him for so long." Kayla started, her voice cracking as it was barely above a whisper, "For five years I longed for him, and now he's here and I feel like I don't know what I'm doing. I'm pregnant again, and I don't know how to take care of the first one. I love him so much, but I'm scared for him. I'm scared of what he'll become."

"Everybody's scared at first, Kayla." Sandra assured her daughter as she leaned against the car with her, "There's not really a manual for parenting and I'm sure you weren't reading up on baby books while we were all dead...or...well, gone. You're doing fine. He's going to be fine. He has two very strong parents, in every sense of the word."

Kayla began to get choked up and leaned her head back to fend off the tears, "I don't know why I'm crying, I don't know if its because I'm pregnant, or overwhelmed, or because I'm at one of my friends' funerals. I feel so guilty. I feel so mad that they are gone. Nat would have loved him so much."

"You need to move on Kayla." Sandra told her daughter gravely, grabbing onto her strong bicep affectionately, "Natasha made her choice. He wouldn't be here if she hadn't. Neither would your father and I. Or Tiffany, and Sam. You need to accept that she did the hard thing because somebody had to do it. You can't save everyone from death honey."

Kayla looked up, her eyes finding the lake through the trees, "I just... I don't believe that."

Sandra sighed, knowing her daughter was like a dog with a bone- she'd never let it go without a fight. "Well, you'd better start. Because you have a family now. You better be thankful for what you have. Stop dwelling on what you lost. You are the lucky one today, do you understand that?" Sandra was cold, and Kayla felt a shiver down her spine as she saw the CIA agent in her mother reappear for a moment.

"Yes Mom," Kayla answered dutifully and looked down to see James had detached his little mouth from the bottle and was yawning, falling into sleep. "Would you mind finding Steve? Let him know I'll be back soon."

"Of course. Last I saw him he was cornered by Secretary Ross by the punch bowl. Don't worry, I made sure Ross won't bother you and your friends again." Sandra winked as she walked away, heading back toward the cabin and leaving Kayla alone with James.

 _"_ You love me right?" Kayla asked as she looked down at James sound asleep in her arms. "I... have no idea what I'm doing with you. I have no idea- if you are a regular baby?" Kayla pondered aloud, looking around to make sure no one could hear her babbling, "I just want you to have a good life. I want you to have a normal life. Not like what I had. I don't want you to be famous... for everyone to watch you... I _really_ don't want you to be a superhero. I just want you to be a kid. And, I don't know how to give you that life... You know your dad is Captain America... and your Grandpa, he- he used to be the President of the United States. It's pretty cool that Captain America married the First Daughter, right?" Kayla let out a deep sigh as she paused her rambling, knowing her son wasn't listening to her words as he drifted off into slumber. But she needed to get out her thoughts, "It uh, it seemed pretty cool at the time. It's hard sometimes. You'll get that. I worry about your dad a lot, and, I'll worry about you. I just... I just really want to be married to Steve Rogers and raise our little family. Somewhere quiet, somewhere safe. I don't know though... the world is unpredictable, and, I guess if you have power, you have a responsibility to use it. Even if it petrifies your family that you may not come home."

Steve stood behind the car, watching his wife talk to their son. He had always known the kind of strain being Captain America put on the woman he loved, even if it was being Captain America that drew her to him in the first place. That was a long time ago though, and Kayla wanted the man behind the mask. The life she imagined for their son wasn't impossible, but Steve had to be done.

He was ready to be done.

Steve didn't speak as Kayla leaned against the car door, watching James sleep. He wanted to tell her that she didn't need to worry anymore, but he had one last mission. The world needed Captain America one last time.

 _ **Author's Note:** Only one more chapter left! It's so bittersweet to see this project coming to an end. I've poured my heart and soul into this over the past eleven months, and I'm so proud of how it turned out. Thank you all so much for reading and favoriting and commenting. It makes my heart so happy to be just a little pebble in this beautiful fandom (Which now boasts the number one highest-grossing movie of all time, so WE DID IT!) Please check out my sequel- From Ellis to Rogers- which will begin posting immediately following the final chapter. It's all original content and adventures and romance and features my take on some characters from comic book lore that haven't quite made their MCU debut yet. So be sure to subscribe to author alerts to be the first ones to read From Ellis to Rogers! Thank you all again 3,000_


	117. Chapter 116- The End

Several days later, Steve's phone rang in the early morning, causing the man to groan and stretch as he reached for the device. "Hello?" He mumbled as he groaned away the sleep. Kayla rolled over, her long hair draped across her face and under Steve's pillow. She squinted at Steve questioningly as his eyes widened, taking in the information on the other line. "Alright, I'll be there first thing tomorrow morning."

As Steve hung up, Kayla shifted to rest her chin on Steve's bare chest, staring at him expectantly. She didn't speak, just waited as Steve stared at the ceiling. After a moment, Kayla pressed a kiss to Steve's jaw, trying to gently pry out her answers.

"Bruce has the quantum tunnel up and running. He's ready for me to take the stones back. I'll head upstate tomorrow."

"No. Honey, don't go alone. Take Sam or Bucky. Anyone. Time travel is unpredictable-" Kayla whispered loudly as she pushed up onto her hand, hovering over Steve and letting her hair fall over him. "I'd offer to go, but I need to stay behind with our son. In case-" She looked over to James sleeping in his crib beside the bed, her lip quivering ever so slightly as she considered a life without Steve.

"There's no 'in case'. I can do this Kay." Steve asserted, staring up at his wife with drawn brows as he gently pulled her chin back to face him. "Putting them back will be much easier than stealing them, I promise."

"Still. You have a lot at stake here." Kayla added, lowering herself down to nuzzle her cheek against the spot between his shoulder and chest. "What if something goes wrong? We'll never find you."

"Nothing will go wrong. I promise. I'll be careful, and I'll come back in one piece." Steve chuckled, his chest moving beneath Kayla's face as she stared straight ahead, filled with more worry than faith.

* * *

Steve pulled on his new Captain America suit, freshly cleaned by Kayla to put the stones back. Kayla helped him put together the paneling on the suit, running her fingers along the scales near his chest as he watched her lovingly. He'd miss her helping him get ready for missions. She buckled his boots and he looked to the bed where James laid on his back, wiggling around wildly as he looked at the ceiling, wearing a Captain America onesie that made Steve blush when Kayla brought it home. Once Kayla rose to her feet, she held Steve's cheek with her right hand before pressing her forehead toward him, and he returned the sentiment, holding his head against hers for a moment as they breathed together.

When Kayla pulled away, she was smiling proudly. Steve followed her to the bed and picked up his son, holding him gently against the star on his chest. James had his mother's eyes. As far as Steve could tell, the baby was too young to show any sort of resemblance to either of them, except for those gorgeous green eyes. Steve gave the child his index finger and let the baby grab it in his tiny fingers, bringing a proud smile to the soldier's face. "I'm gonna miss you. For you I'll only be gone a few hours, but, it could be weeks before I see you again."

"I'm glad it'll only be a few hours for him because he'll go berserk without his Daddy," Kayla added as she clung to Steve's waist, leaning against her husband as they watched their son. Zawadi barked up at the pair, wagging his tail expectantly as Buddy sat quietly beside him. "You'll miss Daddy too, I know," Kayla told the dog, leaning down to rub his ears with one hand and reaching over to scratch Buddy's neck with the other.

"And I'll miss them, but no one as much as you Kay" Steve told his wife as she stood tall and reached to kiss him gently on the lips. "I'll miss you so damn much."

"Language Captain. Not in front of the kids." Kayla hissed playfully as she rubbed her stomach and Steve winced a little with James in his arms.

"Sorry. I suppose though..." He trailed off, looking at the clock, "We have to go."

"We do." Kayla agreed, reaching to take James, but Steve pulled him back, keeping him as long as possible before he had to leave. Kayla led the way to the door and held it open for Steve as he carried their son out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

Mathew looked up from his morning coffee as he heard Steve's heavy boots coming down the stairs. "I see you two are ready to go."

"Unfortunately. But it has to be done." Steve grumbled sadly as Sandra appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands with a dish rag. He begrudgingly handed his son over to the boy's grandmother. Steve knew there was no better place for James, but he still didn't like the thought of leaving the baby without his parents.

"We'll see you tonight Steve. I'll have dinner on the table when you guys get home. Travel safe." Sandra told the man, bopping the baby up and down as he started to cry away from his father.

"Thank you, ma'am." Steve nodded, forcing a smile, but Sandra knew he didn't want to go. But nobody understood duty quite like Captain America. He had to finish what they'd started.

"Drive safe kiddo. We'll see you four tonight." Mathew said as he gave Kayla a hug. Sam and Bucky stood by the door, waiting anxiously to get the show on the road.

"You sure you don't wanna come, Wanda?" Kayla asked the Scarlet Witch as the girl tapped her teacup with her ring finger.

"I'm just fine here with Tiffany and your parents. No need to crowd the car any more than it already is." Wanda answered as she took a long sip over her beverage, her eyes glowing the slightest bit red as she met Kayla's glance.

"Suit yourself." Kayla gave a salute to Wanda as Tiffany sidled up next to her, giving her friend a fist bump before heading toward the door to kiss Sam Wilson goodbye.

Bucky was the first out the door, leading the way toward the red car belonging to Steve and Kayla. He slid into the backseat behind the passenger seat, knowing Kayla would move the seat up if he needed more leg room. Kayla looked back at the large brick house with a sigh, pulling her long blonde hair to the side over her long sleeved black running shirt. She pulled on a red windbreaker and slid into her seat as soon as Steve closed the driver's door.

The long drive was silent. Steve stared straight ahead beneath his aviator sunglasses as Kayla played with his dog tags around her neck nervously. Bucky sat silently in the backseat while Sam stared out the window at the passing trees, feeling the tension in the car. Every hour or so he'd take off his dark brown leather jacket, then put it back on when Bucky complained he was hot and Steve turned the air back up again.

Finally, Steve pulled the car into what used to be the Avengers Compound lot. They had started rebuilding: salvaging what they could and hauling away what they couldn't. Steve felt sick in the pit of his stomach looking around the old compound. It had once been his home, now, it was a pile of rubbish.

"Banner is set up by the lake. He's got a bunch of tents and stuff for the equipment since the compound is unusable." Sam explained as he led them to where Bruce was milling about, hitting switches and beginning to start up the quantum tunnel for the day. It was cool. The leaves were starting to turn colors as fall approached. Kayla shivered as she slowly followed the men to the clearing where a miniature version of Stark's quantum tunnel stood next to a control board.

"Good to see you guys." Bruce greeted as he looked up from the control board. After a moment, he locked eyes with Steve, "You ready for this, Cap?"

"I am."

"Good," Bruce answered, setting a black case on the table next to his control board. Bucky wandered around the camp as Kayla, Sam, and Steve watched Bruce open the case, revealing the six Infinity Stones. "Remember, you have to return the stones to the exact moment you got em, otherwise you're gonna open up a bunch of nasty alternative realities."

As Bruce explained to Steve what he had to do, and Sam stood by dutifully, Kayla stood between the Hulk and the Captain. She stared at the stones, feeling the slightest pull on her body toward their glowing light.

 _It calls me._

"Don't worry Bruce. Clip all the branches." Steve said stoically as he slammed the case closed without breaking eye contact with Bruce and latched it, causing Kayla to jump as she shoved her hands into the pockets of her windbreaker.

Kayla looked up as Bruce hung his head sadly, feeling the weight of his failure in bringing one person back, "You know I tried. When I had the gauntlet, the stones, I really tried to bring her back." Steve looked up at Bruce, and Kayla saw the look of longing in his blue eyes as he listened attentively while Bruce added, "I miss her, man."

"Me too," Steve told Banner with a nod, and Kayla swallowed hard, trying to remember what her mother had said.

They had to move on.

And that started with putting the stones back. Steve pulled the case off the table and moved swiftly toward the quantum tunnel as Sam stayed by his side, offering to come along. Steve dismissed him though, making his way up to Bucky to face his best friend. "Don't do anything stupid till I get back."

Bucky watched Steve sadly, knowing something was amiss. "How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you."

Kayla watched the exchange between the two men, her eyes darting back and forth as she rocked back and forth on her heels, her hands still in her pockets. Steve hugged Bucky and then turned to Kayla as Bruce revved up the tunnel. Kayla cleared her throat and looked up to meet Steve's eyes, her own very calm, "You have enough Pym Particles right? You need at least seven since you don't have a space ship to get to Vormir. Six for the stones and one to come home. If you have to jump around, we may never find you."

"Kay- don't worry about me. I promise I'll be okay." Steve pulled Kayla to his lips and she wrapped her arms around him tightly, shoving her tongue in his mouth to kiss him deeply until she ran out of breath. She pulled away and there was fear in her eyes. Steve let go of her waist and stepped onto the platform and tapped his wrist, causing his quantum suit to cover his Captain America uniform. He grabbed onto Mjolnir in one hand and the black case in the other. Steve turned back to his friends, and there was a mix of confidence in Sam, sadness in Bucky, and the fading fear that turned to acceptance in Kayla Rogers. As Steve locked eyes with Kayla, he smiled at her, "See you in a minute, Kay."

"Ready Cap?" Bruce asked as Steve nodded at the man slightly, taking a deep breath as he began to jump back into the Quantum Realm. "Going Quantum in three... two... one."

And then Steve vanished.

Kayla inhaled quickly, the breath like knives in her throat. He was gone. Bucky looked over as the woman tightened her jaw, and she turned to him, meeting his eyes before she turned away and looked to the ground, one hand pressed against her chest as she breathed heavily.

"He'll be here Kay. Don't worry. If anyone can do this, it's Cap." Sam assured the woman, but Bucky just watched her carefully. There was an acceptance to her fear. Like she knew what was about to happen. Like she knew all the cards- but that didn't make what was about to happen any easier.

"And returning in five... four... three... two... one..." Bruce counted down, but nothing happened. A slight blip from the quantum tunnel, but no Steve. Bruce turned to his control board quickly, beginning to study the readings and press buttons. Sam looked to Kayla with his jaw slack, disbelief in his eyes.

"Where is he?" Sam asked quickly, staring back at the tunnel with wide eyes as the panic set in.

"I don't know, he blew right past his time stamp."

Kayla released the breath she'd been holding in, and turned quickly, knowing she was right. Barnes nodded once, then looked to Sam, who was yelling at Bruce to bring Cap back. Sam turned to Bucky and pointed at Kayla, "Take care of her, tell her we're gonna find him."

Bucky saw Kayla plop down on an old stone bench overlooking the lake. He walked up behind her, but didn't sit next to her, he just stared over her shoulder at the water. "You knew something was off didn't you?"

She took a deep breath, then sighed as she hung her head, "Time travel is a tricky thing. He shouldn't have gone alone." She looked over her shoulder at Bucky, "But you know Steve. He never stops. Plus- I have reason to believe he may not want to come back."

"And what reason is that?"

"If you could go back, and live the life you should have had- wouldn't you?" Kayla's voice cracked at the words as she looked back over the still water. Her hair draped over her shoulders, hiding her face from the Winter Soldier hovering over her. Bucky smoothed his hand through his long hair, trying to decide where Kayla's head was at as he watched her.

"I wouldn't leave my family. Steve wouldn't leave you..."

"You don't know that," Kayla said, almost like she was in a trance. She stared down at her feet, kicking at the dirt with her black boot. "You don't know what I know. If I were him... I don't know."

"If he doesn't come back, it won't be by choice. I know Steve Rogers well enough to know that. And so do you. The only reason he insisted on taking the stones himself was so he could be _sure_ there were no complications... I swore to him I'd take care of you if anything happened to him, and I will, but I'll never stop searching for him. We'll get Steve back. I swear on my life-"

Suddenly, there was yelling from behind them, and Bucky turned, seeing the quantum tunnel come alive with light. He bolted toward Bruce and Sam as Steve reappeared on the platform in his quantum suit. The white and red faded away quickly as he leaped off the tunnel, fire in his blue eyes. "Where is she?" He snarled as his boots stomped down the stairs. He discarded a circular brown leather bag at the base of the platform as he looked to his friends, seeing Bucky nod toward the bench by the lake. Steve turned his attention to the blonde and began storming toward his wife, yelling her name through the silent forest as his friends watched in confusion.

"Kayla!"

At the sound of his voice, Kayla lifted her head, and her red lips formed a coy smile while her eyes glowed amber as she cradled the Soul Stone in her hands.

 **To Be Continued...**

 **Coming Soon: From Ellis to Rogers**

In loving memory Kayla the orca

November 26, 1988- January 28, 2019. 

Thank you for inspiring me the past five years, I'll always love you and miss you- My Best Girl.


	118. From Ellis to Rogers Sneak Peak

**_Author's Note: Hey guys! I've decided to post an excerpt from my new story- From Ellis to Rogers. So for those of you who thought this ended on a cliffhanger... head on over to From Ellis to Rogers to see how it all resolves! Follow, Favorite and please review! Thanks for reading and love you all! XOXO Cash_**

 ** _Chapter 1- From Ellis to Rogers_**

Steve Rogers stormed toward his wife. The blonde sat on an old stone bench, facing the lake beyond the former Avengers Compound. Her long hair blew in the slight breeze away from her red windbreaker, making her look mysterious in her stillness. She lifted her head as he approached but she didn't turn around at the sound of his voice.

 _What was she thinking? Tampering with something she doesn't understand..._

Steve huffed as he reached her, standing behind her with his hands on his hips, waiting for her to turn to him. "You have anything to say for yourself?" Steve asked, fighting back his instincts to wrap his arms around his girl and embrace her. He knew he'd been gone only a moment, but he hadn't seen his wife in several days. He'd have been home earlier, but she threw a curveball in his plan. He needed to talk through her recklessness with someone he trusted. He waited for a moment, but the blonde didn't respond. "Kayla... what have you done?"

"I had to Steve. I can't explain it. I had to keep it."

Kayla turned her head to the side, and Steve moved around to meet her eyes. He stumbled back a step when he saw them, glowing gold as she lifted her chin to look up at Steve. "Kay? What- you- the stone?"

Her cherry red lips broke into a smile, releasing her shining white teeth, "It chose me."

"It chose you?" Steve asked tentatively, seeing the stone glowing in his wife's hands as she grinned up at him wickedly, "Kayla, I don't think you're okay..."

"I've never been better darling. I'm going to fix everything. I'm going to bring Natasha back." Kayla assured the soldier as she stood, and he took a small step back as she took a long one toward him. She tilted her head to the side, watching her husband carefully as he retreated, "You're afraid of me."

"A little bit Kay. You're acting very strange. Let me take the stone. Let me put it back, Doctor Banner can take a look at you-"

"No. No, the stone chose me. I need to take it back to the Stonekeeper. I need to use it to bring Natasha back." Kayla warned as she bared her teeth, and Steve felt like the woman he loved was becoming a feral animal, wild and untamed in her inhibitions.

"Cap? What's going on?" Sam asked as he approached the pair, finally getting a good look at Kayla. "What's happened to you, Kayla?"

"She took the Soul Stone." Bruce answered, meeting the girl's eyes as she grinned up at him, her eyes glowing as her hair blew around her face, "She's holding it in her hand."

"And you're going to let me use it, Bruce. I can tell." Kayla murmured threateningly as she took a step closer to the Hulk, and the green man watched her nervously, unsure of what she would do.

Steve carefully grabbed her arm, yanking her gently away from Banner, "Kayla, please, give me the stone-"

At his touch, Kayla froze, grabbing the star on the front of his scaley Captain America uniform roughly. She turned her face slowly to face her husband, and the gold in her eyes blazed orange as her toothy grin melted away into a scowl, "You went back." She squeezed the Soul Stone in her left hand as she clenched his suit in her right, pulling closer. She tipped her head to the side, studying Steve with her glowing eyes. "You are... content. You don't feel any confliction about coming home."

Steve stared at Kayla for a moment as Bucky, Sam, and Bruce watched him, waiting for him to elaborate. "I wasn't-"

"Planning on telling me. I know. You got your dance. But you were too late. She was already married. As are you. So you came home to us. To your family." Kayla's voice echoed a little as she spoke, in a trance as she read straight into Steve's soul. "I know you are mad at me. But you'll forgive me."

Steve furrowed his brows, tightening his jaw as he leaned away from Kayla. "Honey, please. Let go of the stone. This isn't you."

"I have to Steve. It's my destiny."

"Please don't make me do this Kayla." Steve begged, getting a tight grip on both of her arms. "I don't want to hurt you, but the Soul Stone is controlling you. I know you, this... isn't you."

"It could be."

Steve's eyes fluttered away from Kayla's for just a moment to see Sam nod, and Steve yanked her and threw her to the ground, straddling her as Sam grabbed the Soul Stone out of her hand. "No!" She cried out, and reached for the golden stone, calling it back to her even as Sam held it. The essence of the stone wisped away, leaving only a rock in Sam's hand as it entered Kayla through her open mouth, gasping at it like air.

Steve leaped away from Kayla, backing away quickly as the Soul Stone disappeared into his wife. "Kayla... what have you done?"

The blonde woman laid on her back, blinking her eyes rapidly as the gold ebbed away and was replaced with her forest green eyes. "Steve?"

"Cap." Sam handed Steve the former Soul Stone, a small rock that was brown and ugly. Powerless. Sam looked to Kayla cautiously, but she panted as she pushed herself onto her knees. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," Kayla admitted, looking from Steve to Sam as she squinted into the sun. "What happened?"

"You took the Soul Stone. I got to Morag to return the Power Stone and realized it was missing. I put all the stones back where they came from. Except I had no reason to go to Vormir because the stone was gone." Steve accused Kayla, but she sighed, looking down at her legs as she kicked at the dirt.

"So you made a personal call to 1945?" Kayla retorted with a shrug. Steve closed his mouth, his cheeks heating up at her words. Kayla smiled knowingly at her husband, "I'm not mad. I get it, Steve."

"Why did you take the stone, Kay? I need to put it back. Clip the branches remember?" Steve said gently as he offered her his hand. She took it and allowed him to pull her up, catching her as she leaned into his arms.

Kayla looked up at Steve, grabbing his jaw with her palm as Steve tossed the rock to Bruce to study, "I'm... sorry. It called to me... I didn't push it out. I let it in."

"Yeah, and it's in you now. You are now the Soul Stone." Bruce said, waving the worthless rock in Kayla's face. "Can you control it? Or it going to control you?"

"The baby. Is the baby okay?" Steve asked, pressing his hand to Kayla's stomach nervously as he turned to the doctor. Kayla looked around at all the expecting faces, knowing they wanted answers she couldn't give. She didn't know what was happening. She didn't understand why it chose her.

* * *

Kayla sat in the backseat with Bucky, curled up with her arms around her knees as she leaned against the door, staring out the window. Steve drove in silence, staring straight ahead as his heart filled with dread. What was going to happen to his girl? What was going to happen to their unborn child? They'd worked so hard to get James back. They'd faced death. They were on the brink of a normal life, and just like the Cosmic Cube had thrown his life into a tailspin eighty years ago, another Infinity Stone had stolen his happily ever after.

As the large brick house came into view, Kayla sighed deeply, knowing she'd have to face Wanda and Tiffany. And her parents. Oh, what would her parents say?

When Steve parked the car, Sam and Bucky practically jumped out before he could turn it off, leaving Steve alone with his wife. Tiffany opened the front door and Zawadi and Buddy came charging out toward the car, jumping into the backseat and covering Kayla with kisses. She giggled as she allowed them to lick her, and Steve felt at peace for a moment, seeing some things hadn't changed.

He got out of the car and closed the door gently, but the noise alerted the Rhodesians and they leaped out of the open door away from Kayla to bark at Steve, wanting attention. He didn't oblige, but instead opened up the door for Kayla and offered her his hand. "Come on Kay. We'll figure this out together."

"I don't want to be around James. What if I hurt him? What if I hurt them?" Kayla gestured to her stomach, and Steve knelt down outside of the car.

Steve grabbed her hands and stroked her knuckles as he looked into her green eyes, "I won't let you hurt our children. I told you, we'll figure this out."

"If anything goes wrong, you protect them. Do you understand me, Steve?" Kayla asked with shakey breath.

"Yes." Steve replied quickly, "I do. But I won't let it come to that."

Kayla stood and allowed Steve to lead her to the house, where, as promised, Sandra had dinner on the table. They all stared at Kayla like she was a ticking bomb. They were scared she'd go off. Sandra and Matt watched with bated breath as Kayla took her place next to her mother, across from Tiffany. The little brunette pushed her hair behind her ear as she met her best friend's eyes. "You okay?"

"As far as I know. As per usual though, I'm starving. So let's table the talk till after dinner and eat?" Kayla asked cooly, and Tiffany passed the salad bowl, which Kayla took and loaded up her plate with leafy greens. Tiffany looked to Steve with wide, questioning eyes, and he raised his hand and nodded, silently telling the woman that Kayla was fine.

"So, you got the stones back alright Steve?" Mathew cleared his throat, taking a bite of his pasta as he looked from Kayla to Steve.

"No issues. Got the five of them back pretty easily." Steve explained before taking a bite of his garlic bread, sparing a brief glance at Kayla before looking over her head to her father. "How was James while we were gone?"

"He was very good. He's down for a nap now, but I'm sure he'll be happy to have his mom back." Sandra offered, smiling at Kayla, but the blonde didn't return the sentiment, instead, she stared down at her plate of pasta emotionless.

"I, uh, I'm done. Dinner was great. I think I'm gonna go check on James." Kayla said weakly, quickly pushing away from the table and walking briskly around the group toward the stairs. She sprinted up the stairs, her heels clunking as she quickly ran out of sight.

"Steven," Mathew said darkly, grabbing the soldier's attention, "What is happening to my daughter?"

Steve shook under the former President's stare, feeling the pressure to assure his father-in-law of his only daughter's safety. But Steve couldn't.

"Kayla is bonded with one of the six stones. The Soul Stone. She stole it before Steve left and it seemed to have... possessed her. She seems fine now, but I think it's still... in her." Sam told Kayla's parents from Mathew's left, grabbing Tiffany's hand and squeezing it.

"And what's your plan for ridding her of this Infinity Stone?" Mathew asked Steve again, but Steve simply stared at the table.

"I don't know. I'll figure something out. I won't let anything happen to your daughter."

"It's a little late for that Captain Rogers. It seems like something very bad has happened when you weren't looking. We are very aware of what those stones can do... is she dangerous? Should she be alone with your son right now?"

Steve pushed away from the table roughly, not acknowledging Mathew's question, but his actions spoke louder than his words ever could as he stomped toward the stairs, following Kayla up to their spare bedroom.

Steve pushed open the door slowly to find Kayla standing by the crib, cradling James closely to her chest. She looked up when he entered the bedroom, and he saw the tears streaming down her face as she cried softly. Steve sighed as he approached her, gently grabbing onto the sleeves of the red windbreaker she still wore, "Kay..."

"He loves us so much. It's the only thing in his soul."

Steve pressed his forehead against Kayla's, looking down at their son as he looked up at them with wide green eyes, "Yeah? How do you know?"

"I can see everyone's soul. You are frustrated. My mom is nervous. My dad is angry. Tiffany is scared. I can see everyone. I'd like to understand it. But I'm scared to become what it wants of me. It's sentient Steve... it's alive." Kayla explained, her eyes glowing orange for just a moment.

Steve moved to take James from his wife, but she held him close, staring at Steve defensively as she turned herself to keep the baby away. Steve put up both hands to show he didn't mean any harm. "Kayla, please, you said it yourself, you don't understand the stone's power. Give me James." Steve's eyes were dark as he ordered Kayla to hand over her child. Her lower lip shook in anger for a second before she passed her baby to his father. "I'm not taking your son away from you, Kay. You understand that right?"

Kayla looked at Steve, staring into his soul and seeing that he meant well, but he was manipulating her. He was being _Steve._

"Give me the baby. You don't worry about me anymore, okay?" Kayla said evenly, her eyes glowing briefly as his blue eyes mirrored hers before settling back to their normal color.

"I'm not worried, baby. Everything's fine." Steve said as he straightened up and handed James back to Kayla. "I don't know what came over me. I trust you."

Kayla smiled wickedly as she held James tight to her chest, "Why wouldn't you?"


End file.
